Bloggers Beyond

2 blogs with 'Beyond' in the title grabbed me today:Beyond Blue, hosted by Beliefnet, a blog grappling with issues of faith and mental health. Ht Brownblog, which cross-posts a helpful '5 ways churches can minister to people with mental illness'

Beyond Relevance, a superb blog which covers marketing, change, growth etc. Some examples from there:

on change in worship: if someone wants the songs sung today like they were thirty years ago, this person is more than likely struggling with two things when someone tries to bring about change: 1) That their greatest moments with God were in their past (instead of looking to find fresh times with God in their future), and 2) that their inability to learn all the words to all the new songs that we do in our A.D.D. song rotations (and small "very cool" overhead text) just makes them want to give up.

On childrens ministry: What visitors want to see from Children’s Ministry and the Nursery is twofold—security and genuine care. If their kids have fun, that is the cherry on top. When they drop their kids off, they’re seeking a strong sense that their child will be safe, warmly and sincerely accepted, and seen as an individual child. They want to hear you say their child’s name and see you help the child become part of the group. To them, their child is not just another kid. It’s their kid. They want them to feel special and it speaks volumes if you make them feel that way…but even louder if you don’t.

on church notice sheets: All printed materials that you put out as a church form to create your church’s personality in printed form. If your printed materials are not consistent in style and quality, that’s what people will take away from your church, consciously or sub-consciously. If they are outdated, you’re telling people your church is outdated. On the other hand, these pieces might be telling people that you’re the “cool” church. This would work if you genuinely are the cool church, but if you’re not, that’s an awkward disconnect.

The really good thing about Beyond Relevance is that there aren't loads of posts there, and what is up is concise, well written, and to the point. Superb example of 'less is more' blogging, where you could read the whole site at one sitting and come away with a bagful of nuggets.