Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Proud Dad
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Simply Effective Church Websites
Click here for the entire Powerpoint Deck on Google Drive: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UWEWVgaSw_anwYLC3ZdckT7lcVQOM0kO/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=110624967174873690415&rtpof=true&sd=true
Wiles will bring you hope and a laugh as he guides you
through simple effective website platforms and the “must-haves” for your
church’s online identity.
Worst Websites! You have got to see these!
Bad church site: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/
Bad Non Profit Website: https://www.art.yale.edu
Bad Business Website: https://www.lingscars.com
Worst Navigating Site & Mobile: https://arngren.net
CofC Networks Polled
Harding’s Preacher Stuff: DWilliams@Harding.edu
http://www.thejenkinsinstitute.com/
Facebook
Private Group: Compadres
· 39%
- Wordpress
· 11%
- Squarespace
· 8%
- Cloversites
· 5%
- Wix
· 5%
- Weebly
· 5%
- Congregate
- 5% - Dreamweaver
Legit Book
ResourcesAvailable on Amazon for Kindle Download A Simplified Guide to
Church Websites by Brian Jaeger in
2015 WordPress All-In-One for
Dummies By Lisa Sabin-Wilson
in 2019 by David Karlins in
2012 Web Design Platforms and Content Management Systems
Topher’s Other Tech
Tools •
Sharefaith.com – Website, Graphics, Giving, Curriculum, App •
Text-em-all.com – Mass Texting & Phone Calling •
InstantChurchDirectory.com – I found out about
it at Harding Lectureships 2015! •
Buffer.com – Post to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
Pinterest •
Boxcast.com – Livestreaming Facebook, Twitter, Youtube,
Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV
|
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
WC Cross Country at the Voyles Classic
Junior Evan Ferris leads freshman Gabriel Wiles in dynamic stretching |
Senior Abigail Welch gives starting line encouragement to freshman Gabriel Wiles, senior Dean Limper, & junior Evan Ferris |
Junior Evan Ferris |
Senior Dean Limper |
The ladies get ready for the starting line: sophomore McKenzie Tuck, senior Abigail Welch, freshman Breanna Powell, freshman Poppy Shank, and freshman Luci McKee. (Photo Credit: Crissy Shank) |
There were about 1000 runners in this race! |
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Family Forte: Focus on People not the Prestige
by: Topher Wiles
It’s really easy to get caught focusing on the gold, silver, and bronze medals decorating the elite at the Olympic games. Take a good look at the medals coming out of Tokyo this year. They are a marvel of intricate metal machine work with ribbons of chemically recycled polyester fibres and hardwood cases. Obviously a lot of thought and care has gone into the metal tradition that was started in 1896 at the Athens games. (Click this for more info and a 1 minute Youtube video.)
https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/games/olympics-medals-design/
(photo from Olympics.com) |
"Charge our
chariots strong & sturdy.
Vanquish without any
mercy
Enemies of our
valiant army
And give to us a
divine glory
Furnished with
medallions & jewelry
Everything that is
worldly
Is only ours by your
decree
We worship thee on
bended knee."
The Goddess Nike is an ancient tradition of war & games victory which lacks
mercy & compassion. It’s an interesting modern choice for the medals at the
largest worldwide competition existing today because so few believe in the
ancient Greek pantheon.
"Hellenism" may have as many as 2,000 legitimate adherents
today according to archeology.com, and Nike isn't even one of the twelve main
gods/goddesses worshipped in Greek culture.
(http://archive.archaeology.org/0501/abstracts/letter.html)
Why
has the world kept this tradition rather than honoring a diety that much of the
world follows today? Why not make the
medal symbol one of the Jesus, since approximately 32% (2.4 billion) of the
world claims Christianity as it's religion?
He also symbolizes victory and peace at the same time. I surmise choosing to honor Christ on the
Olympic medal could usher in boycotts from the world's 1.8 billion Muslims, or
1.1 billion Hindi's, or 1.2 billion unaffiliated. The Olympic committee would
likely be unwilling to alienate so many using an Olympic symbol from a modern
religion, even if it did promote more better the Olympic mission (to build a
peaceful and better world) than NIKE. (https://olympics.com/ioc/beyond-the-games)
Perhaps
we should focus more of our time and attention on the people on whom the medals
hang rather than the image on the prestigious medals themselves. I’m so
grateful for Olympic medal winners such as Caeleb Dressel (attends
Campus Church of Christ, Gainesville, FL) who chose not to honor and thank
goddess Nike for his wins and abilities, but chose to honor God for the
opportunity to represent Him to the world. Consider how much more merciful our God is
than that of Nike, as evidenced in this prayer, recited by 2016 Rio Olympian Sarah
Scherer whenever she gets nervous.
"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil." - Matthew
6:9-13 ESV
(https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/olympics-thy-will-be-done-is-shooters-prayer/)
The
symbol on the prestigious medals may not be anything we want to model our lives
after, but some of the people are worthwhile examples of faithful and
compassionate victors on the world’s greatest sporting stage. May we give the God of victory and compassion
all the honor & praise for the triumphs of the athletes and for our triumphs
as well.
To follow more believers in Tokyo, consider reading in The Gospel Coalition’s about Sydney McLaughlin, Kyle Snyder, Helen Maroulis, Micah Christenson, Michael Andrew, and Melissa Gonzalez. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/christian-athletes-tokyo-olympics/
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Family Forte: Invincible Love & Saving Marriage
by: Topher Wiles
How many of you were like us?
I thought that we would tie the proverbial knot, carry Ashley over the
threshold, and as the fair tales say, “live happily ever after?” We dated for two
years, were engaged for one, and had a beautiful wedding. Now after 17 years of marital ups and downs,
we discovered that a good marriage is so much more than a loving feeling, a
lavish ceremony, and having a lot in common. I wish we had gone through some
sort of organized premarital counseling.
If we’re being truthful with ourselves, that whole “till
death do us part” in the marriage vows is increasingly ironic. According to Les & Leslie Parrot (authors
of “Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts”) things are changing. In the 1930s,
one out of seven marriages ended in divorce. In the 1960s, it was one out of
four. On survivedivorce.com, that figure is now around 40 percent of marriages today
ending in divorce. That tells us that so many couples toss the bouquet, return
the tuxedos, and assume they’re heading for marital bliss while their ship is
really sailing toward wedded disaster.
We believe God has more in store for your family forte than what
our current culture provides.
Here at Central Church of Christ, we believe God has set the standard on what a loving relationship is and we are preparing ourselves to help members in the community get ready for the best marital relationship possible. That’s why I and others at our church have gotten certified to offer pre-marital counseling through the SYMBIS (Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts) system to our community. This 30 minute pre-marital assessment tool and five accompanying counseling sessions are designed to give couples the following: healthy expectations of marriage, a realistic concept of love, a positive attitude and outlook toward married life, a better way to communicate feelings, an understanding of gender differences, the ability to make decisions and settle arguments, a common spiritual foundation, and a deep and abiding commitment to the bonds of marriage together. This is the broader concept of what invincible love looks like day-in and day-out in a marriage.
Tennessee
understands the value of pre-marital counseling as our state offers a $60
discount (from $97.50 to $37.50 in White County) on marriage licenses to
couples who obtain pre-marital counseling within a year before the
marriage. For couples choosing pre-marital counseling with us here at
Central, we ask that the couple cover the $35 assessment fee, and we will
provide 5 free counseling sessions directed by the findings of the assessment.
All told, you’ll come out of this saving $25 in Tennessee and saving your
marriage before it starts!
Marriage doesn’t have to be a gamble. Your lifelong partner
is better than a roll of the dice. Your marriage can be better prepared to
weather the storms that will come. You can enjoy “invincible love.” We’re here
to help.
Hang my locket around your neck, wear my ring on your finger. Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing— it sweeps everything before it. Flood waters can’t drown love, torrents of rain can’t put it out. – Song of Songs 8:6-7
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Family Forte: Marriage from a Nazi Prison
By: Topher Wiles
Instead offering my own marriage experience for your inspiration, I want to
share with you thoughts on marriage that inspire me from a collection of
letters from another's extraordinary life. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a
German protestant minister who wrote from prison before his 1945 execution at
the hands of Hitler's Nazis. On May 15th, 1943, approximately 6 weeks
after his arrest and missing the wedding ceremony of close friends due to being
held in prison, Dietrich wrote these thoughts on marriage to the newlyweds.
Today, I find Dietrich Bonhoeffer's letter writings on marriage from a Nazi prison
to be refreshing and empowering. I believe the modern view marriage has
often been reduced to an extravagant party or a temporary civil union. Bonhoeffer’s
marital declaration bolsters my resolve to care for the marriage God has given
me with my wife. It reminds me of my marriage's purpose as a practical
use in humanity but also as an example of God's designs for others.
Bonhoeffer's writings echo the strong sentiments of scripture about marriage
such as these writings from other letters:
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall
be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is
great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless,
each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the
wife must see to it that she respects her husband." - Ephesians
5:31-33
If we can help you strengthen your family by encouraging your
marriage relationship, offering marital resources, or by praying for you to our
God, please let us know. May your family
be blessed with fortitude through marriage!
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Patiently Pulling My Son to the Prize
by: Topher Wiles
Sweat was
dripping everywhere from my aching body as my legs screamed at me. Then, the cheering erupted. High fives and hugs dominated the moment as
the gracious volunteer hung the heavy metal around my neck and wrapped me in a
“space blanket” on that cold December day.
My feet felt like weighty concrete but my heart was as light as a
feather.
Perhaps it was
the five caffeine laced gelpacks I consumed in my four hour 26.2 mile marathon
run that kept my heart racing. Maybe my
heart was light because, unlike the first unfortunate marathoner who died after
his run, I knew had successfully survived the brutal assault on mind and
body. It’s possible that the light
feeling was the result of the St. Jude’s cancer patients and survivors showing
signs in the last mileage that read, “You’re doing this race for me!” Yet, I believe the biggest motivator was the
accolades and praises of my training coach that made my runner’s high continue
from the Memphis St. Jude’s Marathon all the way home.
Sure, Tough
Mudders were a blast, half-marathons were fun, and sprinting 5k’s to a gold
medal win was exciting, but they weren’t the same as that Marathon with
Don. My friend Don was at least 10 years
my senior and has run in the Boston marathon, which means he is a high level
runner. His wife was also a cross
country coach while he raised four cross country running kids. This guy knew how to train me to run a
marathon. Back in the day when I would
proclaim, “I’m not a runner and I don’t like to run,” Don took me under his
wing and educated me on all things running.
I still don’t like to run, but I’m a proud runner today because Don’s
patient training pulled me along to the prize and that amazing runner’s high.
Don’s secret
training methods weren’t about buying Eliud Kipchoge’s record breaking shoes or
the latest breakout training routine.
Don simply pulled me along and encouraged me every step of the way. For months he texted me frequently to
coordinate running schedules together.
He helped me rehab through injuries and gently corrected my form
offering little tips along our journey together. During the long runs, when Don could tell my
body was starting to give up, my training partner would always run two steps
ahead of me, shielding me from the headwind, pacing me with his time, and
constantly encouraging me with his words.
Even during the race, Don would pull just a couple steps ahead of me,
challenging me to quicken my pace all until the last half mile, when he shifted
behind me encouraging me to take the lead and the photo finish glory in the
home stretch. I was ecstatic crossing
the finish line because I had reached not only my goals but I made my training
coach proud.
After multiple races totaling hundreds of miles since my
marathon run of 2014, I’ve only been able to duplicate that runner’s high
feeling a couple times, with one happening a few weeks ago. That lighthearted feeling lasted all day
after the race and well into the week, except this time, it was me who crossed
the finish line a half step behind a runner.
My son, Gabriel (8th grade), had never run more than a 5 miler
before he expressed interest in running the Sawbriar half-marathon in Jamestown,
TN. I was worried about whether or not a
14 year old could accomplish this extensive distance, considering there just
aren’t any real middle school cross-country options nearby to train him. So every
week I monitored Gabriel and his progress while sharing little tips that I have
learned in my years of running. When we
ran together on long runs, Gabriel was silently conserving every breath for his
lungs and legs while I chattered away about life, running, and God to keep his
mind from focusing on his aching legs and burning lungs.
On race day
Gabriel was visibly nervous about his first ever 13.1 mile race, especially
since it was rainy and cold, but our prayer together with church elder Ty Webb
at the starting line lowered his heart rate and helped set the stage for one of
his biggest achievements in pursuit to date.
Like my training coach had done for me years ago, I stayed two steps
ahead for the first 12.5 miles. Then, as
we sprinted to the finish line, my smile lengthened and my heart skipped a beat
as I watched Gabriel out run me by a half step, accepting the cheers, hugs, and
high fives of family and friends. My
achievement in the Sawbriar Half was not my personal record, but I finally
duplicated that amazing runner’s high of 2014 as Gabriel lifted his award for
first place in the under 18 division.
Friends, we may
not all be called to run the road, but we are called in this life to be like a
training coach like Don, patiently pulling other people to the prize. You may be called to focus on your family as
you help a child set and reach their goals in family, education, or their
career. Your calling may be toward a
young person at church as you pull, train, and cheer them to reaching spiritual
milestones. A struggling family in the
community may be your aim as you patiently guide them through the trials of
life. Whoever it is, remember that
reaching those same milestones you’ve already eclipsed takes patient time in
training, helpful and positive tips from your experience, and a lot of
encouragement along the way. There are
few greater joys than helping others succeed.
Now, who are you going to patiently pull to the prize?
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” – Hebrews 12:1
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Family Forte: Breaking Snapchat Streaks
By: Topher Wiles
It’s not just teenagers that get a thrill from watching the
number by the flame grow day by day. People of all ages enjoy the feature that Snapchat
has dubbed “streaks”. A 2017 Business Insider article gives us this information
on a Snapchat streak. “A Snapchat streak is when you send direct snaps back
and forth with a friend for several consecutive days. The longer you go without
breaking the chain of communication, the longer your streak is. Snapchat
rewards longer streaks with special emojis, such as the ‘100’ emoji for streaks
lasting 100 days, or a mountain emoji for an extremely long streak. Many
teens (and adults I know) invest an inordinate amount of time keeping streaks
alive. There's nothing more devastating than losing a streak you've put months
of work into.” 1 (see endnotes)
photocredit: www.cyberdefinitions.com |
I have an adult friend who surprised me one day stating, “I
have a couple streaks that are over 400 days long.” That means they’ve snapped someone on their
phone every day for over a year straight. As for me, I’ve explored streaks as I’ve tried
to learn more about the opportunities and pitfalls of this social media
messaging platform that more of our church members are using. My longest streak was 76 days, a paltry number compared to
the record that suntrics.com has listed as of May 2021. That record is considered
to be 2165 consecutive days and counting.2 Can you believe that Ally
Zaino and Kait Bruneau have sent messages to each other every day for nearly 6
years? That’s almost as long as the streak was introduced on April 6th,
2015.
Snapchat streakers feel strong emotions when considering
losing their streaks, as if they are losing a tangible commodity that they’ve
worked hard for or losing an actual relationship with a friend. I know anxiety
rides high for some Snapchat Streakers when friends don’t snap back in a timely
fashion, threatening to reset that precious streak number to zero.
Yet, I think it is entirely healthy to break a Snapchat
streak. We aren’t designed to be
tethered 365 days a year to our cell phones.
One of the events that recently broke my Snapchat streaks
was a camping trip with the boys to Standing Stone State Park. It had beautiful trails, overlooks, a gorgeous
old dam releasing water from the lake, streams to cross, tennis courts, and a live
little scorpion found in a campsite by a neighboring camper. Standing Stone was a delightful bliss of a two
day getaway for my three sons and I. The park had everything we needed. What it didn’t have was cellphone reception
on my network or accessible wifi from the campsite. I was completely unplugged
from the communications world, tuned into enjoying the outdoors with Gabriel,
Ethan, and Micah, and I loved it. From the smiles and laughs as we sat at the
Dairy Queen in Livingston rehashing our highlights from the trip while downing
delicious Blizzards, I’d say the boys were glad I unplugged as well.
Sadly, I’m one of those people who stay connected as my cell
phone serves as my Bible, prayer list, note taking device, to-do list,
calendar, and communications hub. The boys and I were taking guesses as to how
many notifications I would receive at the end of the two day camping trip when
I reached cell signal again. Gabriel won
as my 2-day notification tally sent my cell phone into a vibrating spastic
seizure surpassing 300 alerts from
social media platforms, text messages, and emails. Many of you are like me,
tied to your cell phone with constant communications and uses. Many
of us are even addicted to our smart phones, Facebook feeds, and Snapchat
Streaks. Take a look at some of the information on smartphone addiction from disturbmenot.co.
“Nomophobia is the official term for smartphone
addiction—a rising issue in modern society among both the young and the
old.
·
66.53% of the world’s population has a mobile
device.
·
People tap, swipe, and click an average of
2,617 times per day.
·
iPhone users unlock their phones an average
of 80 times per day.
·
Users spend an average of 2 hours and 51
minutes a day on their smartphones.
·
26% of car accidents are caused by smartphone
usage.
·
52% of American teens want to take steps to
cut back on their use of smartphones.”3
Over half of American teens would like to cut back that
smartphone usage, yet features like the Snapchat Streak count, Facebook Like,
Instagram Heart, and Twitter Re-tweet are designed to keep us plugged in and
addicted. I recommend looking up the adverse
effects of cell phone addictions that are listed on numerous websites, such as psychguides.com.
I won’t go into detail here, but I was surprised to read that male infertility,
neck strain, OCD, and depression are among issues connected with cellphone
over-usage.4
For our family’s strength, health, and relationships, I believe
we need to encourage each other to break the Snapchat streaks, because being
connected to your cellphone daily for 6+ years is going to have net negative
consequences. While it won’t be popular
with those addicted, especially teens, (it may potentially induce short term anxiety,
irritation, and restlessness) breaking cell phone streaks and addictions needs
to happen from time to time for us to rest and focus on the highest priorities
in life. Take a camping trip with your
kids, go on a cruise with your friends, or declare a “no-cell phone” weekend in
your house while you read actual books and do things that make you feel good.
Enjoy distraction free time together as a family and focus on God’s blessings
around you. My streaks are broken, and I’ve
been set free. Consider how you can enjoy freedom with your family too.
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in
peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and
all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” – Isaiah 55:12
Check out that little scorpion from Standing Stone! Amazing! |
Endnotes
2 https://suntrics.com/tech-blogs/longest-snapchat-streak-a-brief-guide
3 https://disturbmenot.co/cell-phone-addiction-statistics/
4 https://www.psychguides.com/behavioral-disorders/cell-phone-addiction/signs-and-symptoms/