My UYWI08 workshop yesterday went well, I think. The Internet 101 workshop introduced 5 web tools using non-techie speak: website, blogging, email newsletter, podcast, and social networking. About a dozen people attended. The well-equipped room had (a very slow) PC and projector and (one button on/off auto-retract) screen all built-in the APU classroom (Duke 106). This is not the kind of class room I grew up with — I like it. For the technology alone, I would be open to the idea of being a teacher, even though teaching is not my top talent (I think).

Max Torres used his handy-dandy Flip video camera (equipped with flip-out USB port!) to record parts of the workshop - here’s the 1st 6 minutes:

That Max is one seasoned techie, 1st introduced to personal computers back in CP/M days. My own intro was with the TRS-80 in my high school days. And here’s the workshop powerpoint slides:

| View | Upload your own

I (attempted to) used my Olympus digital voice recorder [256MB version; I actually have the WS-320M; both have built-in USB:: no messing with gadget cables] to record the audio for the workshop, but the battery died about 30 minutes in. I’m using a new work laptop, so all my software + customization is gone. Taking longer than anticipated to rebuild, so posting the audio may take a few days amidst other real-life activities.

Aside: next week May 20-22, Pastor Rick at Saddleback Church hosts an unadvertised invitation-only pastors conference. Some are even calling it a “stealth conference.”

I’m in the midst of negotiations with the organizers to get access. A most impressive speakers lineup. [ht: plantingpartners.org]

Mark Batterson will be at both this PD Gathering conference AND at The Whiteboard Sessions in metro Washington DC! Don’t know of Ben Arment has a private jet to get him cross country in a jiffy. Mark, I love sweet tea too! Perry Noble is bi-coastal conferencing too. [update: got Twitter direct message @ 1036am Pacific that Ron Sylvia is bi-coastal conferencing these 2 too]

Spent a few days in Dallas in back2back2back meetings. Good to be with my teammates, especially as the bonding gets a little more stronger with every meeting. We 12+ directors only meet together once a quarter. Then we’re again scattered like the wind all over the US of A. Once in a while running into each other at conferences.

And it’s been a sombering week, with prominent tragedies all over: 43,000+ people @ cyclone in Myanmar (aka Burma), 50,000+ people @ 7.9M earthquake in Sichuan province of China, 25 people @ tornados in Missouri, Oklahoma, and Georgia, 90 people @ Jaipur bombings in India, and the on-going war battles in Iraq.

The one that hit closest was the plane crash piloted by Pastor Forrest Pollock, accompanied by his 13-year old son. Pastor Pollock was flying en route to Dallas for a conference I was attending on Monday and Tuesday, but he didn’t show up in time. About a third of the way through, we heard about his plane being lost. The next day, we heard the plane was found: crashed. No survivors. See press release from Leadership Network + any of the 63 news articles crawled by Google News.

Pollock pastored Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Florida. View and sign guestbook over at serenitymeadows. The Celebration of Life service for Pastor Forrest Pollock and his son Preston will be webcast live on Saturday morning May 16th at 9:30am (Eastern).

Culture is always changing, some faster, some slower. I’m one who loves ideas, not as an avoidance of real world real-time life, I hope that’s an accurate assessment. I find myself often thinking about interplay between Gospel and culture. I confess I need help moving from thinking to action. Lots of help.

Tim Keller (at Dwell Conference last week) mentioned a super way to keep a pulse on culture, especially for a New Yorker(?) — check Arts & Letters Daily. Every day it has book reviews, opinions, and essays.

So it’s looking like another action-packed month for me. I have this propensity to cram lots of activities together. Have a compulsion to stay active. Though yesterday, found myself sleeping more hours than usual. With that much going on, I’ve not kept up with the blogosphere conversation for over a month now. Get a glance occasionally at twitters of live stream tweets. No heady Arts & Letters Daily either.

This week is the move, and have to do much apartment cleaning too. Then a quarterly staff meeting in Dallas next week, plus UYWI 08 - Urban Youth Workers Institute conference at Azusa Pacific University. At least the latter is within driving distance.

Watched ‘The Bucket List’ on the UA flight 405 from LGA to DEN, Jack Nicholson + Morgan Freeman.. I blog this as I watch it to the end. Love hearing Morgan narrate. Masterful.

Morgan’s character’s a trivia buff, cited a stat- of a 1,000 people surveyed, 96% don’t want to know the date of their life’s end.

Yet it’s certain. Not sure what the ignorance does. I’ve given that day some thought over my years, probably younger than most.. What I hypothetically dread is pain or loneliness or blood or hospital residency or life support (of any kind) or prolonged wearing out of my earthly tent. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to get there any sooner, but I would prefer that it’d happen fast and unconciously. (See, I can be reflective.)

So the idea of the bucket list and the popular web 2.0 portal 43things is listing all the things you’d want to do in a lifetime. For people who like planning, that’s fine for them.

I hate planning– even for the next meal, much less tomorrow. But have to do that planning thing for everyday life in the real world.

I don’t not have a big list. For me, I do have a few to-do’s on my short list. I’ll add more as I go. Hit the ground a-running. One is to travel more internationally, experience more world cities. I’ve only been to 3 in my adult life. I’m anticipating Tokyo is next. Have to figure out (and plan) how that’ll happen. Tips are welcomed. Harigatogajiamus.

Mostly packed and ready for my second New York City trip this month. I just checked-in online and printed out my boarding pass. (Last time, departing from NYC, my failure to do this was the decisive factor that made me miss my flight.)

On this go around, I’ll be there for 5 days/ 4 nights, which includes the sold-out Dwell Conference, a Yankees baseball game, staying at a hotel in Upper East Side, and who knows what goodies I’ll eat.

I had blogged about the Dwell Conference on 2/21/08, and had set a reminder to myself to register a week later. Well, wouldn’t you know it, a whole rush on registrations happened that very week, and it was sold out! (Did my blog have something to do with it?) I was left with no (legitimate) way in, and already booked my air travel and hotel! I pulled strings left and right, pleaded and begged, even making a trip to Mars Hill Seattle, but no go. I was #41 on the waiting list. And then my colleague had to cancel her trip on Thursday 4/24/08, and we got her registration transferred over to me. Voila, I’m in!! What an answer to (a desperate) prayer!

There’s 90% chance rain on Monday (tomorrow), but I’m in the plane most of the day. I hope that doesn’t mean a flight delay.

I have to get up at 5:00am to catch a shuttle to the airport, so I’d better be off to bed. (btw, recent personal news: closed escrow last Friday on condo town home + see photos)

For real-time updates, follow me on twitter.com/djchuang >>

I’ve been a Starbucks card member for years. Years I tell you. I’ve worn out at least 3 cards from heavy usage over time. I’ve had to ask the cashier to transfer my credit to a new card, because the old one was losing its magnetism. Automatic recharge on the card was nice, as was the quicker swipe on checkout was too, but mostly marginal.

The most recent change that Starbucks has added as bonuses to the Starbucks card are a good start: syrup and milk options for free, brewed coffee refills for free, free drink with whole bean purchase. (I don’t know why the graphic avoided the word free.)

Now, here’s some of my wild-brained ideas that I’ve submitted to myStarbucksIdea.com — register there as a user for free, and vote for these! and/or add comments there for these ideas!

• delicious soft serve ice cream and/or frozen yogurt


• 30 daily featured drinks + top 10 selling drinks scoreboard constantly updated


• improve website by combining similar ideas [where I mentioned askanything.marshillchurch.org]


• great drink with no sugar and no caffeine


• web sequel: my Starbucks drink website — as in myStarbucksDrink.com


• suppress receipts without saying No every time

Ya think any of these have a leg to stand on? FFT (fan-freakin-tabulous)? awesomatimistic? kewl beans? off the hook? perfectomundo?

An old friend sent me this controversy brewing at Cedarville College. I went to seminary with David Hoffeditz, who was apparently dismissed last summer under mostly hushed tones. Details are slowly coming to light, as the Dayton Daily News reported several weeks ago, as — Secret recording suggests firings timed to avoid furor: A theological issue splits the conservative Baptist school and could pose a threat to future enrollment and Cedarville firings worry fundamentalists: School says theology had no role in firings of Bible profs; others not so sure::

Cedarville historically has been fundamentalist, or orthodox, since becoming a Baptist institution in 1953, and requires all its students to minor in Bible. But the new emergents’ views on truth and certainty had crept into the Bible department, according to students and faculty, creating a schism.

The fired professors, David Mappes and David Hoffeditz, were on the fundamentalist, conservative side of the divide. Their supporters believe they were fired because they openly challenged other faculty members’ more liberal interpretations of the Bible in the classroom.

Mappes and Hoffeditz were fired in July despite receiving new contracts just a few months beforehand.

I was in the same seminary dorm with David Hoffeditz for a couple years, delightfully joyful guy. Apparently he had more brainpower than he let on, seeing how now he’s a very capable professor. David himself has issued 3 public statements about his situation at http://dmhoffeditz.netfast.org, even as he & his wife expect their 1st child next week!

The website www.cedarvillesituation.com tracks a lot of the developing story, er, situation. Article # 3 describes the firings this way:

President Brown, in the presence of fourteen witnesses, said on December 17th of last year that the word “assurance” in the University’s Truth and Certainty statement means the same as “certainty.” The exact lines in The Truth and Certainty statement are thus:

“The Christian has the privilege of living with confidence made possible by God’s grace. Christians can be assured that their beliefs are warranted even if their understanding is not comprehensive or perfect in every instance. This certainty is to be held with humility and love.”

. . . Since Dr. Brown (authoritatively) equates “assured” with being “certain” there is a dramatic problem. Those faculty who signed the statement (the statement is incorporated in the Faculty Handbook which is then incorporated in the faculty contracts) without meaning certainty must face dismissal.

But what has happened is that the “certainty people,” Thigpen, Cragoe, Hoffeditz and Mappes have been dismissed.

Plus, 2 welterweight blogs do battle cage-match style in the blogosphere– Cedarville : Liver vs. Cedarville: Heart.

I feel badly for David and the other terminated profs. I’ve read a handful of paragraphs linked above, and it all seemed way too nuanced for me. I’m going to bed.

I excerpted this from my Digital @ Leadership Network blog post ::

A huge gathering well into the thousands, like about 2,800 church leaders in Orlando, Florida — at the Exponential 08 Conference, aka National New Church Conference! Touted as the “mother of all church planting conferences“. (Wish I could be there, but I’m still recoup’ing from my heavy travel season, not that I’m conferenced out. Plus, I have work to do besides attending conferences, I really do.)

Some of the live reporting of the action from the floor (via blogging, twittering, photos, and/or video): Todd Rhoades of Leadership Network and MondayMorningInsight.com, Scott Hodge, Chris Elrod, and Jay Hardwick. Follow tweets from toddrho / scotthodge / chriselrod /  jayhardwick / mpayne1970 / ronsylvia.  And/or, see the latest in the blogosphere via Google Blog Search.

[update] Todd Rhoades provides live streaming from the “green” room backstage, with speakers interviews. He’s recorded the ones with Dave Ferguson and Alan Hirsch. Chris Elrod is taking questions for his interviews with Alan Hirsch, Rick Warren, and Tim Keller today 4/23/08! What would you ask Tim Keller? Send a direct message to Chris Elrod with your questions >>

There are many issues that are not easy to talk about in an Asian context, or an Asian American context, for that matter. Asian culture’s shame-based sensitivities makes it difficult to discuss (almost) any issue for which individuals in a group have different convictions/ opinions/ beliefs. One of those issues is homosexuality, and not only because of its prominence in American society. It’s not only an issue, there are real people in the mix –it relates to many of our friends and families.

I just got word of this special event from Pastor Ken Fong of Evergreen LA . This conversation is especially for Southern California Asian American evangelical churches and they are making a short film about this for release in the coming year. From what I gather, it’s an attempt at a cordial discussion between people who have very different convictions on a sensitive issue. What do you think?

Saturday, May 10, 7:00 p.m. @ Sanctuary of Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles www.ebcla.org

WE NEED TO TALK: A Conversation about Homosexuality & the Asian American Christian Church. Sponsored by the Christian Social Issues (CSI) group, an informal gathering of Asian American Christians who discuss wide-ranging social issues and how they relate to our Christian faith. Join three old friends – two straight and one gay – who will engage in a conversation that needs to happen more often in order to dispel ignorance, quell fear and hatred, and foster greater understanding. Debate about scriptural interpretation or scientific evidence is not within the scope of this dialogue. It is not our intent to resolve this highly complex issue. Though we may ultimately arrive at different conclusions, at the very least, we need to break the awful silence in our churches surrounding this subject. We really need to talk.

If you have a friend or loved one who is gay, or you are gay yourself, or you are a Christian who is concerned about this issue, please join us in this much needed and long-awaited dialogue.

April 16, 2008 is a day of remembrance — a number of events at the Virginia Tech campus. Streamed live will be the University Commemoration (10:30am Eastern) + Candlelight Vigil (8:15pm Eastern).

The following is an email newsletter sent out by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association::

Last April, the world’s attention focused on a campus community ripped to its very core with the grief and pain of a tragedy unparalleled in the history of American higher education. And what they observed was more powerful than they ever expected… they saw a campus filled with energetic students and talented faculty that displayed grace, poise and fortitude beyond all imagination — a community fueled by something we know as Hokie spirit. That spirit reaches deep and spreads beyond the campus throughout our 200,000 alumni, and indeed across the entire globe.

Yes, Hokie spirit emerged from tragedy and impressed a world that was brought closer by the media to witness the strength and resilience of the entire Hokie Nation. On this anniversary our attention turns respectfully to the families who lost their loved ones last April 16th and to the students injured that day who are successfully putting their lives back together. It is a day of remembrance. The victims will be honored at a ceremony that will take place Wednesday on the Drillfield at 10:30 A.M. EDT. It will be televised by various media and streamed through the university’s website www.vt.edu. President Steger and Virginia’s Governor Kaine will make remarks. Other participatory events are being held throughout the day, and a candlelight vigil at dusk will signal the end of the day’s observances.

The university is grateful for the expressions of support that have flowed from loyal alumni and friends around the world since last April. These expressions have come in the form of almost every artifact imaginable. To date, 87,000 different items (some displayed in our Alumni Center Museum on April 16th only). In excess of $9.5 million in memorial gifts. Special appearances by the Dave Matthews Band and the NY Yankees. Plus thousands upon thousands of well-wishing letters, e-mails and phone calls. And perhaps the most recent signal of prevailing Hokie spirit is the acceptance rate by students who have been offered admission to the university this coming fall – already hundreds ahead of last fall, which was itself a record-breaking year.

We see such optimism and spirit in the faces of our students, often represented by the countless hours they have poured into VT-ENGAGE service activities. Similarly, our alumni are honoring the university’s year of renewal with a range of service activities, including participation in our “Virginia Tech for life” blood drives staged by alumni chapters.

At the dedication of our permanent April 16th Memorial last August, SGA President Adeel Khan summed it up exceptionally well…

Take time to remember the legacies, remember the dreams and remember the talent that our community has lost. I hope you are inspired to work harder to honor the 32. Share you talents with the world for the 32. Achieve your dreams for the 32. Be more compassionate, friendly and thoughtful for the 32. Be better, for the 32.

In 2008, we remember the 32; we are thankful for the survivors; and we are proud we share together that incredible Hokie spirit.

Tom Tillar

Vice President for Alumni Relations