Do Christians spend too much time making a big deal out of things that don't matter to the greater culture? If it's solving issues like human trafficking, global poverty, or abortion, that's one thing. But I wonder about the effectiveness of raising vast amounts of money for legal issues like the right to pray before a high school football game. Sure it's nice, but are we wasting our ammo on something few people really care about? I thought of that with the recent FCC broadcast obscenity case. There's no question that ... read more

In your opinion, what are people wrestling with today? What are the issues people are struggling with? The media would have us think it's all about the election or the financial crisis. But I have some doubts. I think there are more eternal challenges - identity, purpose, meaning. Some issue transcend economic or political problems. What do you think? Let's create a list. ... read more

Brand expert Simon Williams says "Brands that influence culture sell more; culture is the new catalyst for growth." The concept of changing culture is hot. Look at Google - it's revolutionizing the way we work online - both personally and corporately. There's also a rush for brands to be green and help the environment. Those brands are getting a lot of buzz right now. Right or wrong, the perception of impacting culture adds an important layer to your credibility. The perception is that PC's are for bland business people, while Apple is for culture shapers and creators. What are you doing to impact culture? Whatever it is, you need to be talking about it. ... read more

I've written before the "culture is more important than vision," and it's proven prophetic when it comes to the amazing success of Pixar's animated movies. Check out this article from 37 Signals about how Pixar works from the inside. What can you take from this to help transform your organization? ... read more

Check out this thoughtful analysis of the challenge of influencing culture from The Trinity Forum. Coercion is just as harmful - and ineffective - in culture as in politics. The excellent post from culture analyst John Seel is worth taking the time to read, think about, and ponder. It's not light reading, but worth every minute. Thanks to Karen Covell of the Hollywood Prayer Network for the tip. ... 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

Perhaps all the media ministries complaining about the "cultural elite" should hold on a second. According to researchers at Oxford University, what we've guessed is true - just because you have money, doesn't mean you have class or taste. As the Wall Street Journal reports: ... read more

Chris Busch, founder of Bizdreams is guest blogging today. Chris is a leadership, management, and organizational consultant for secular companies and non-profits as well. Here are his thoughts on the subject of "Culture is more important than Vision:" ... read more

Articles coming out in Time Magazine and the Los Angeles Times this weekend indicate just how much of a beating the Christian faith is taking right now when it comes to the public's perception. I'm going to be writing more about this in coming weeks because I blame much of this on a flawed strategy to impact the culture. The last 30 years have seen a rise in Christian organizations with strategies that "confronted" the culture. They viewed it as a culture war, and went on the attack. But "power" and "influence" are two different things, and controlling ... read more

We live in a Post-Christian culture. Done. Get over it. They don't play by our rules or understand our values. The Christian worldview isn't dominant anymore. And yet I keep running up against pastors and Christian leaders who seem dumbfounded that network TV programs don't honor religious faith, politicians don't appreciate the faith-based audience, or the culture in general is more and more secular. We can complain and lament all we want, but ... read more

I fell compelled to write one more post as a result of all the responses to my pointing out the Miracle Theater's full page ad in USA Today. My biggest disappointment is how quickly a discussion like this disintegrates into personal attacks, gossip, and strife. Honestly, I was a little amazed at how much some people got off topic, and raced into areas that mattered very little to the issue at hand. You want my opinion in a single post? Here it is: ... read more