daveferguson.org

Top 100 Church Blogs

If you are reading this blog there is a good chance you are a blog reader - right?  So, I thought you might find it interesting that Kent Shaffer of Church Relevance has posted a list of the top 100 church blogs.  This is not a list of his personal favorites but those that receive the most traffic and thus have the most influence.  For the second year in a row this blog is on the list - which is nice!  If you would like to check out the list of top 100 church blogs then click HERE.

Most Read Blogs In The World

Kent Shaffer of Church Relevance did some research and compiled a list of the most read church blogs.  Kent describes the list this way, "some focus exclusively on ministry, while others are more like theology blogs.  Regardless of how you label them, these are the world's most popular church blogs written by many of today's most influential church leaders, theologians and Christ Followers."

You should check out the list of top blogs.  There are many blogs on there that I was not familiar with and I want to check out.  I'm happy to say that this weblog came in at #43.  I don't know what that really means...except that if next year I move up a place I can pass up #42 Scott Hodge!  :)

One Stop for the Best Blogs

If you are starting the new year by wanting to beef-up your bloglines or just find some great blogs about church leadership, ministry and all things christian - then I have the place for you!  Alltop does exactly that!  They collect lists of the best internet sources of information on all topics.  One of the lists they have compiled is about church leadership, etc; and you can look at their list by clicking HERE.

And yes this blog is on the list.  Enjoy!

Help Me With My Extreme Blog Makeover

This blog desperately needs an overhaul.  This is actually the 2.0 version of my blog; but it has been in desperate need of a face lift for a long time.  Over the last couple years this has been a great place for me to interact with you, share ideas and links and also give you a peak (if you are interested) into my life.  Along the way there have been about a quarter of a million visitors and many more pages viewed.  But it is time for a change and now I'm in the process (actually it's not me at all; it's some good people who understand how to make this blog cooler and more effective) re-thinking everything about my blog. 

Here is where you can help me - I would love to have your suggestions as I re-make this blog.  Would you take a second and just fill in the blank of this sentence: "Dave, you should ___________________ with the new version of your blog."

I Want To Thank All The People Who Made This Possible...

Just found out that this blog was nominated for a BLOGGLE AWARD in the Best Blog by a Pastor category.  Thank you Marty Holman.  It's an honor...I think?

You Are Reading An Alltop Blog

Alltop just added a church section which listed the top blogs on the web and I found out that this blog is on it!  Since Alltop claims it lists only the "cool kids (and me)" I guess that is a good thing!?!  Actually, I was pretty pumped about that!  Alltop was started by Guy Kawasaki, Apple/Mac Guru, best-selling author and one of the top bloggers on the planet.  Guy is also a believer and I heard him speak at the Innovate Conference last year where he did a great job.  But back to Alltop which he founded.  It was explained to me that if Google is a pile of all the information on a topic, Alltop is a magazine rack of the best on that topic.  Another way to explain it is by looking at these two pics. There are about thirty some blogs on this list including some of my favorites!  So check it out!

Follow Jon Ferguson, Tim Bakker and Team.

Since Jon is ignoring the public outcry for him to start blogging again someone else in the blogosphere has stepped up and provided a blog to give you the latest on his trip to the Philippines.  The picture that you see above is Jon and the team who just left to visit NewThing  affiliate Frontline Worship Center in San Pablo Philippines.  If you want to follow what Jon, Tim Bakker, Cliff Parrish and the gang are doing in the Philippines click HERE.  And if you feel like giving Jon grief for not blogging while in the Philippines you should leave him a comment.

Let Jon Know You Miss Him Blogging!

So Jon was at my house tonight for my daughter Amy's birthday.  I told him that everyone was really missing him not blogging.  He has not posted anything on his blog since May 8th.  That is over two months ago!  Then Jon said, "there certainly has not been any public outcry for me to start blogging again!" 

What?  No public outcry?  So I want to be the first to say, "Jon, we want you start blogging again!!!"  If you are with me and you want Jon to start posting again either send him an e-mail OR post a comment on this blog OR post a comment on Jon's blog.  C'mon public, "WE WANT JON!  WE WANT JON!  WE WANT JON!" 

(He's gonna kill me!)

Why Blog?

Ever once in a while someone (most often my wife) will ask me, "why do you blog?"  Well, this time the question came from Church Solutions Magazine.  They not only asked me the question, but they listened and then wrote a whole article on  the topic titled, Pastors Blog To Stay Connected. So, if you are are a reader and want to be a blogger OR if you are someone who is trying to figure out how to get the most out of your blog - check out this article.

Welcome Julie Bullock to the Blogosphere!

If you want to keep up to date regarding anything to do with "generosity" you need to check out this new blog - Accelerate: propelling a movement of generosity by Community's Julie Bullock.  Julie serves as the Director of Stewardship and Generosity for Community Christian Church and the Director of Development for our NewThing Network.  Julie knows more about generosity than anyone I know, has an MBA and while in high school was the leading sales person for Serta mattresses in the state of Oklahoma!

Check Out A New Site: Building Church Leaders

The largest Christian web presence in the world is Christianity Today (I think?) and they have recently overhauled what they are doing with Building Church Leaders site.  This new and improved site now has an Ask The Experts section.  The team at CT was nice enough to ask me to join this panel of "experts" that includes Wayne Cordeiro, Mark Driscoll, Leith Anderson and more. 

They asked me to do the initial Q & A for the Ask The Expert.  The first question was, "How do you motivate your congregation to bring friends and family each week?"  Interested?  Click HERE.

Blog IPO's and Link Love

I got a couple blogs that are IPO's in the blogosphere. I'd like for you to check them out and/or pass along these links to people who would be interested.

The first one is for the wives of church planters and you can find it at Planterswives.com.  I took a look at the site and the content that Jen Antonucci is putting out there is good stuff and I have a hunch will be a great help to the wives of church planters.  (And yes there should be a site for husbands of planters --- but we don't have enough women church planters, yet!)

The second site is Color Outside The Lines; a blog that is offering "thoughts and musings on multi-cultural church planting".  Mont Mitchell, the Lead Pastor of Westbrook Church; a multi-cultural church is very passionate about this topic and has a lot of experience to share.

And while I'm talking about blogs, some other bloggers have been giving this blog some kudos.  So let me return the link love by mentioning a few friends:

• Tony Morgan who is a real biggee in the blogosphere included this blog in his list of 25 Blogs Tony Couldn't Live Without.  Tony and I have only met in person once, and very briefly.   From reading Tony's blog I know he is someone with whom I'd like to hangout.  Thanks Tony!
• Cynthia Ware at The Digital Sanctuary also gets some serious traffic included the blog you are reading in her 20 Blogs For Christian Leaders.  I haven't met Cynthia (yet), but thanks!
• Mark Conner, who pastors  CityLife Church in Australia (an amazing church I keep hearing great stuff about!) included this blog in his top four blogs of pastors.  I first heard about Mark from Alan Hirsch and since then we have exchanged a few e-mails.  I know our paths will soon cross. Thanks Mark!

Thank you Steven Furtick and good luck!

Steven Furtick is the Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina and for reasons that I don't completely understand is now the #1 search on Technorati.  He is literally getting a gazillion (??) hits from all over the planet.  To put it in perspective, Steven is six spots ahead of Paris Hilton!?!  Anyway, I got a comment on my blog from Joe Ulrich (thanks Joe!) telling me that the first book listed on Steven's blog is our book, The Big Idea.  Steven, good luck with your new found fame and thanks for getting the word out!

Thumbs Up To These Blogs...

Andy Rowell in his blog Church Leadership Conversations has a list of "the very best blogs for church leaders". He has six criteria that he looks for in a blog.  If a blog  meets five of the six  he will give that blog a thumbs up!  Andy gives a thumbs up to 80 blogs including the one you are reading (thank you Andy!).  If you are looking for some good blog reading this is a great place to start!

93 Year Old Blogger - "It Bothers Me I Have To Go."

Since I was in my teens I've always had a fear of being old.  I've never been afraid of death as much as getting old.  I'm not sure I can exactly explain why but I think it has to do with loving life and in some way feeling like my chance is over when I die.  I know this may or may not make sense theologically, but that is how I feel. 

Donald Crowdis, the 93-year-old blogger of Don to Earth reminded me of some of those feelings in his post It Bothers Me I Have To Go. Here is part of what he says in that post:  “I've floated on the remark "Been there, done that" for some time now, but the notion that the moment is approaching when I can no longer say this bothers me. The truth is, I don't want to go. There are many reasons. For too long I have behaved as if I could postpone going indefinitely, and thus have so many things that I must do first. I don't want my successors to find out how much I could have done that isn't done, not by a long shot. There are numerous notes and letters I must write. There are places I've wanted to travel, but never had the chance. Actually, each of you can, if you think yourself into my age, fill out the list. At least you can try to understand why I say that I hate to go.”

A Blog You Should Be Reading...

Congratulations!  According to the Desert Father at Harmony Blog this is "a blog you should be reading".  In his recent post, 20 Christian Blogs You Should Be Reading, daveferguson.org was one of them.  Most of the blogs I knew about, but there were a few that I will be adding to my bloglines.  Thanks Desert Father!

Get Your Swerve On.

Welcome Craig Groeschel & Bobby Gruenewald of LifeChurch.tv to the Blogosphere!  They are partnering on a new blog - SWERVE.  Craig is a very gifted leader and Bobby is a creative genius.  I have no doubt that they will have some great content that will prove inspiring for leaders and artists.  So add them to your bloglines or however you keep track of blogs! They even give me some kudos for getting them started blogging.  I would love to think that is true.  Whatever.  Get your swerve on and check out their blog - it will be worth the visit!

www.daveferguson.org in Japanese!?!

I just found out that Google translates my blog into Japanese?  How cool!  If you read Japanese or are just curious, click HERE.  Is this old technology and I just missed it?

Welcome Jon Ferguson to the Blogosphere!

Nate, who is the Lead Pastor at The Village (a NewThing Affiliate Church) asked me today, "What was the smartest leadership move you made in the first year of Community Christian Church?"  I told him, "Jon Ferguson...making sure that I started this church with Jon".  While I absolutely love what I get to do with Community Christian Church and the NewThing Network, I know that if Jon was not around it would become a fundamentally different experience for me.  I literally can not imagine doing what I'm doing without Jon as my partner.  I hope I never find out!

"Jon Ferguson" is not only my answer to Nate's question, it is also the answer to all of the following questions:

• Who is the one of the best developers of leaders that I have ever met?
• Who still knows more about small groups than anyone I know?
• Who was my partner when we started D&J Lawn Service?
• Who is the other founding pastor of Community Christian Church?
• Who is the Executive Director of the NewThing Network?
• Who was my roommate in college?
• Who is one of the authors on the soon to be released The BIG IDEA?
• Who just started blogging?

If you haven't discovered Jon's blog, check it out by clicking HERE.  He has some great insights on leadership, the reproducing church and what is happening in the NewThing Network.  He also takes some shots at me and they start with the title of his blog,  VISCOSITY: Leading Despite The Resistance.

More CCC blogs...

I want to welcome a couple more CCC bloggers to the blogosphere!  The first is Big Ideas about Small Group.  This is a blog published by our CCC small groups team (but I think it was mostly Eric Metcalf's idea).  This blog will be used to train, equip, cast vision and tell stories about the power of small groups.  I love it!  Secondly, you should welcome Sean Bublitz - worship leader extraordinaire at the CCC's Yellow Box.  He started sharing some of his thoughts at A Life Far Less Ordinary.  So, check out both their blogs; leave a comment and tell them I sent you!