Back from the holidays, Chris Busch sent me this report on a fistfight between Greek Orthodox and Armenian priests who came to blows in a dispute over how to clean Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. What a good way to start the new year and show the world what it means to be a Christian! Outside of the usual weirdness, I'm going to focus over the next few months on telling our story more effectively. If we're going to make an impact in the culture, we need to be able to express our faith in a way that touches people, and in my humble opinion, that will make far more of a difference than criticism, complaining, or boycotting. This year, let's stop complaining about culture and start sharing our story. With my new book "Branding Faith" due to hit the streets March 1st, I'm really interested in issues like perception, branding, and telling the right story about you, your product, or your organization. ... read more

As 2008 begins, I would encourage you to find some time away from the holiday madness, and take a few moments with a pencil and paper to reflect about the past year, and get your thoughts, your priorities, and your vision ready for the next. Things don't always work out the way we plan, and that's why goals need to be flexible and responsive to work. From time to time, it's good to sit back, reflect, and ask questions about where you've been and where you're going. When you do, here's eight important questions to consider: ... read more

Last week, I had an interesting experience in the Dallas airport that made me realize just how much everyone in your organization needs to live your brand. I've always been fascinated by Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, not only for his vision, but the way he designed the stores as a 3rd place (after home and work). The design, attributes, and products in a typical store were carefully developed, and his desire to reflect a great coffee experience is notable. But last week, I was reminded that with thousands of employees, just how hard it must be for Starbucks (and other big companies) to train employees to live out the brand on a day to day basis. ... read more

I believe Christian media is facing the greatest generational transition in the history of our culture. The first generation pioneers like Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, D. James Kennedy, Robert Schuller, Pat Robertson, Paul Crouch, and others, have either passed away, retired, or aren't as intensely involved in their ministries as they used to be. The implications of this transition are more critical that many might believe. For instance: ... read more

Today, the Infuze online magazine posted their recent interview with me about faith, media, and culture. Interviewer Paul Rose Jr. covered some good stuff - from comedy, to Hollywood, screenwriting, anti-Christian bias, and why Christians have trouble writing convincing characters - and I think you'll enjoy the conversation. ... read more

Steve MoonReader Steve Moon at Lunamac,Inc, designed two Mac widgets to keep you updated on all the posts on philcooke.com. The first is a "News Feed" widget to keep you updated on stories I'm posting throughout the day. The second is a "Video Podcast" widget to update you on the latest Change Revolution podcast. Check them out (it's one more reason to make the switch from PC). You'll find it at the bottom of the right hand column. Just scroll to the bottom of this page - and many thanks to Mac maven Steve Moon. ... read more