Category: Expos and Conferences

Upcoming Social Media Workshop!

A friend shared Proverbs 25:21-22 with me, and it helped me better understand it in light of the whole Bible. It reads, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”

RedeemingGod.org said, “Proverbs 25:22 instructs us to give our enemy so many burning coals they have to carry them the way burdens are carried in the Middle East: in a container on the head. Then they can go back and immediately bake their bread without having to wait for the wood to become suitable coals for cooking. burning coals. This is quite different than setting someone’s head on fire.”

“When a person’s fire went out,” one commentary says in the article, “he needed to borrow some live coals to restart his fire.”  

We should use social media to “restart the fires” of those whose coals are cold, even if they are our enemies. This is not an easy task, and the effort has a cost.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  This verse makes it easier to view others as image-bearers of God instead of an enemy or someone that offends us mightily. The cost is in the effort of self-control and choosing our words and battles wisely, and investing our time in others. This means learning about the people we follow on social media, their needs, and how to love and pray them to heart transformation. It also means being patient.

Baptism is just the start of a journey. We forget all the interactions that lead up to that baptism. We also forget the journey that follows to surrendering ourselves to the Lord.

On January 15, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., I am hosting a workshop on “Five Habits to Change on Your Social Media to Transform Your Heart and Community.”

Registration is required. If you want to learn how to restart the fires of those whose fires have gone out, join me that day to learn more. Maybe it will help restart your own fire?

WorldVenture is about engaging the world for Gospel impact through multiple disciples compelled by the love of God and willing to risk all so that people are transformed by God, impacting their families, communities, and the world.

And, God has given us the technology to make meaningful connections with people from all over the world. What’s stopping you from getting more involved in what God is doing?

(This is a WorldVenture event. Click here to register.)

New Zoom Class in Chino Valley, Arizona

In 2020, during shut downs, Zoom saw 200 million daily meeting participants. Post-pandemic, our small community still struggles with how to use Zoom, except those who use it for their home offices or businesses. In other states, some were marginalized by technology and isolated because they never learned how to use the technology to use its face-to-face features, like video calling. We can continue to use Zoom as a tool for many ministry opportunities, including prayer and one-on-one discipleship or Bible Study meet ups.

I am teaming up with the Digital Prayer Leader of Grace Church‘s Digital Outreach Team on July 17 and July 28 to co-teach a Zoom class called, “What is Digital Prayer? And How to Use Zoom for Friends, Family, and Ministry.”

To register, click here for July 17 and here for July 28.

This is open to all Christians in the area. You do not have to attend Grace Church to take the class. We welcome pastors from other churches in the area as well.

Saying Goodbye

Today, I began the process of ending a ministry I began in 2014 called, Cataclysm Missions Intl LLC. The bank account will be closing this week. I’ve closed all its social media. The website will be taken down. Incorp, my registered agent, is doing the paperwork to terminate the LLC with the State of Arizona. Like a pattern for a new outfit, I created it to show WorldVenture what digital discipleship could look like, and now it has accomplished that mission. I say goodbye to it with peace in my heart.

My new role with WorldVenture can be read here: www.worldventure.com/nhahn.

I will write more about it. Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures from Saturday’s speaking engagement at Grace Baptist Church in Chino Valley, Arizona.

 

3 Takeaways From The Big Idea

Church Communications partnered with Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee to create The Big Idea Conference. A conference for church communicators. Because church communications bleed into other job titles, like people who work with and for other ministry organizations, I felt it was worth it to attend as a WorldVenture worker.

The swag bag was excellent. Any technologist would smile at the contents:

  • A mug. Everyone knows coffee is part of what makes us creative and awake.
  • An idea book that became my new vision book to scribble in.
  • A key chain.
  • And a gadget I am sure will come in handy with my phone.

Networking with other communicators was helpful. The breakout sessions were great. I was texting our pastor and WorldVenture ideas that came from the breakout sessions and speakers. Facebook’s Nona Jones was useful especially when one considers Facebook’s recent publicity. From the speakers and breakout sessions, I came away with ideas and revelations:

  • Nona’s speech reminded me that God is corraling all the techies in the world. Without any word ahead of time, we are on the same page as far as digital discipleship.
  • Old sermons can be useful. Create short “sound bites” with words to create online discussions.
  • Senior Adults need to get involved in their church’s online activity. Our younger generation needs them. Some churches are not moving forward because of how new digital discipleship still is in the traditional church world. We need our solid Bible teachers online in this era of Bible illiteracy. We need “grandparents”.

The new vision will be announced during the Women’s Luncheon on May 5 at Grace Baptist Church in Chino Valley, Arizona.

 

Beyond Marketing: A Phoenix Workshop Coming Soon!

Beyond Marketing: Developing Evangelistic Outreach Teams is a Phoenix Pastor’s workshop coming January 9, 2018. I (WorldVenture) am partnering with Southwest Church Connection at Desert Springs Community Church to help pastors use social media to develop evangelistic outreach teams.

I would encourage churches to consider, not just sending your pastor to this workshop, but someone tech-minded from your congregation, too. Registration will be open soon. We want to let you know that this is coming up. Put it on your calendars and stay tuned. You can register to receive this blog via email or you can register to receive my prayer emails here.

Phoenix Pastor’s Workshop: Coming Soon!

For the past few weeks, my prayers to God have been, “Oh, God; Oh, God; Oh, God…” It reminded me of Romans 8:26, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

A final video chat on November 1 sealed the deal. Southwest Church Connection is partnering with me to bring a pastors workshop to Phoenix, Arizona (coming in January, 2018). The intention is not to add more to what a pastor already does, but to teach him how to use his untapped resource to engage in greater outreach in their communities. The workshop will go beyond the marketing of a church to mobilization, to equipping, and to greater and more strategic evangelism using teams.

I am excited about this as I plan out the workshop, arrange a beta testing team for the final production of the materials and teaching, and plan the marketing for it. I’ll be pushing this out beginning after Thanksgiving. Most of us in my line of work use technology and/or see the potential of it for face-to-face discipleship, and my prayer is for the churches to embrace it as well. My heart gravitates especially towards smaller churches who have outdated websites, social media that is non-existent or out of date or underused, and who need creative inspiration to think outside the box.

So stay tuned and be praying for me as I work it all out. 

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