Another Hackathon @indigitous
From October 20-22, I will be joining their online Hackathon as a creative, ministry marketer, and social media person. Click on the picture to learn about locations of this Hackathon.
Pray for TRC Magazine
TRC Magazine gathers online on October 28, 2017 to discuss Christmas. We aim to engage in authentic community, especially after so much tragedy.
What does this mean? Unlike other ezines, TRC Magazine’s mission is for writers to engage in meaningful online conversation with readers, and to publish stories that may not always bring in lots of website traffic, but are God’s stories. Stories we publish reflect the diversity of the biblical Christian belief. We are united from different denominations to share Christ with the world and to talk about what it means to live as a Christian. The meeting with our volunteers and intern will need your prayers as we plan our social media strategy.
People will be missing their loved ones this year, and we want to walk with them through that grief.
Pray for…
- Volunteers and Interns not to be too busy, too flustered, or weighed down so that they are kept from serving with us.
- Pray for our intern who, not only assists in managing the website, writes articles, and learns social media marketing as ministry, but he is a family man with a day job.
- Pray for God’s protection on all of us as we serve online.
- Pray for some of us to water and some of us to harvest.
Book Review: When Good Samaritans Get Mugged
Wounded warriors need a good support system. In, When Good Samaritans Get Mugged: Hope and Healing For Wounded Warriors by David R. Stokes, the book gets into Scriptural detail on how Good Samaritans can recover from their mugging and the steps to take for healing. The steps aren’t easy though. Some days it feels like a constant exercise, finding something new you have to forgive in someone else, or even in yourself.
“Making every effort to live at peace,” is often difficult when you consider that the church is a group of believers working through their individual journeys, sometimes reacting or responding out of wounds from their pasts, and once in a while arguing over petty things; mostly, on occasion, reacting when they are challenged to live outside of their normal activities. The book also makes a point to say how we could have contributed to the problems we face when mugged by other Christians. A heavy emphasis is placed on forgiveness.
The book takes us through the steps to grieve, forgive, and move forward with our lives, asking us to focus on the blessings rather than the negative self-talk and keeping our eyes on the future rather than the past. It talks about how suffering is part of the Christian life and the situations that wound us can become opportunities for growth as a leader and a Christian. This book is a warm blanket and a hot cup of cocoa for the hurting soul, designed to walk you through the steps towards healthier church relationships.
*Book given by publisher to review.
Why Rush The Journey?
Weeks like this week make me say, “Lord, will you please hurry this support process?!”
I work in two mentally stimulating jobs that challenge my comfort zone–a Day Job and my position with WorldVenture. Time management is an important tool in my belt.
This week, I came home drained from so much mental stimulation. Don’t tell God you are bored, because He will give you something to do. Ministry is exploding and I am swept away in it while facing the reality of a lack of time. The need for churches (individually and corporately) to learn the proper use of Social Media, to not be afraid of it, or to put aside their prejudices against it is huge. The demand on my time is hard and strangely joyful.
Yet, I am comforted by what the Lord is doing in my life, too. I don’t know what next year will bring, only that I have chosen to live this way with the expectation that God will deliver me. We will get to 100% support and it will be a story of His glory.
So, why cheat the process? Why ask God to hurry what He has deemed an important part of my journey? Every time I fall down, God picks me up again. Every time, I hear rejection, God remakes my heart so that I am stronger and better. God is even remaking our marriage. Every day, we are growing together in the same direction, applying what we are learning in the Bible and in life to our lives.
We are at 29% support. Would you consider a monthly support of $25, $35, or whatever God puts on your heart?
What Did You Learn This Morning?
Even though my hours have changed, I still get up at 5:30 a.m. to make time to read a chapter in the Bible. My body is already used to rising early after 11 years as a church secretary with Solid Rock Christian Fellowship that continuing this habit wasn’t so difficult. The hours at my former employer were too early for morning devotionals, but my new job allows me an extra half hour Monday through Wednesday that I can get in some quality time with the Lord. In thinking about this, I recall what my friend shared with me the other day.
Her pastor asked her, “What did you learn in your morning devotions?” This challenges her to think about what she is reading in context. I challenge myself the same way. Reading the Bible should not be a check mark on your day, but an immersing experience. It’s quality time with my Father before the day gets crazy. I read the chapter and work all day on focusing on what I read. How can I apply it to myself? What is God trying to teach me this morning? What does it mean? Are there rabbit trails to discover? Sometimes, I’m dead tired from a week that never ends or raising support leaves me barely able to think.
“In the same way, the Spirit comes to help our weakness. We don’t know what we should pray, but the Spirit himself pleads our case with unexpressed groans. The one who searches hearts knows how the Spirit thinks, because he pleads for the saints, consistent with God’s will. (Romans 8:26-27)”
Spending time with God is more than just a feel-good exercise, but a desire to stay, “…consistent with God’s will.” I love what He is doing in my life, though it can be painful at times. This life has not left me bereft of joy from all the effort, but excited for what God has planned for my future. It does have its challenges, but I know when to rest. I know when to step away and stop doing and just be.
Continue to pray with me as I raise 100% support. My desire is for the church to reawaken from its slumber and become intentional with its social media uses and understand what God is doing in the world with technology.
Next Visit: Chandler Bible
Chandler Bible is located in Chandler, Arizona. I’ve been working with them for nearly a year on and off. If you want to hear the fruit of this, you’ll need to meet with me so we can talk privately on another day. I will be headed to Chandler Bible on Sunday, October 1.
It’s always fun hanging around with people who are just as excited as you are on what God is doing in the realm of social media and technology. I’m always refueled by this. Meanwhile, if you wish for me to visit your church so we can talk technology and your congregation, email me at nikolehahn@thehahnhuntinglodge.com.
New Numbers!
We are officially up another percentage thanks to a generous partnership. My team of supporters is growing. Together we can knock down the walls and overcome the obstacles of the Church Body using social media and technology to reach, not preach. To become a partner, give here.
Address Change for Gifts
WorldVenture has moved. Please make note of that if you give financially to the work God has me doing via check.
New Address:
WorldVenture
20 INVERNESS PL E
ENGLEWOOD CO 80112-5622
Why Didn’t I Think of It?
Mike Duran is one of those few people who are good at social media. He talks about different subjects with a great tone of voice, putting the responsibility on us to think critically about an issue or a verse, like this one…
When Discipling Online
Recently, I posted this photo from this site. When discipling, is this wise?
Caption: “Just because all of your friends have bad theology doesn’t mean you have to…”
To the majority of my intellectual Christian friends, this is funny. However, a believer in another country didn’t know what that meant. A pastor responded well, but I wondered if my friend understood what that pastor said? It made me think about what I post on my main newsfeed. In the intellectual community, I understand these terms cause a lot of debates.
I am very careful what I post online these days with my calling in mind. Once in a while, I regret a posting, like this one. It WAS funny to the majority of my friends, but I don’t want the focus of ministry to be on what causes debates or division.
Meanwhile, I need to get back on my Western Seminary Leadership Development courses. It’s been a busy few weeks.