Tag: Church of God Ministries

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Good old Sports Illustrations!

Cartoon of a man praying at a pulpit. He says, "And we give thanks for a football season that supplies ample sports illustrations."

Over the years, I’ve heard plenty of sermon sports illustrations. You can always tell when a pastor loves a particular sport. And what’s not to love about a story that illustrates courage, determination, and a little of the unexpected?

But like anything else, they can move into the realm of the cliché. Cartoonists aren’t immune to this either. There used to be tons of cartoons based on a desert island theme. But think what good came of it? If that never happened, we wouldn’t have had Gilligan’s Island!

Stories are important in any sermon. Jesus taught in parables for a good reason. They illustrate truths in a way that engages the audience and made them see differently. And when we have creative teachers bring a story to life, amazing things happen!

When an illustration is used effectively, it can make a powerful point. But if the audience can’t relate to your story, it can fall flat. The old proverb, know your audience, can be very important. That’s partly why sports illustrations have always stood out to me. While I love history, I’ve never been much of a sports guy.

Yet, I like sports illustrations for the following reasons:

  • They frequently illustrate perseverance
  • Many demonstrate how to overcome adversity through preparation and patience
  • They can show the value of teamwork

So let us be thankful for a new round of sports illustrations. While I’m at it, I’m thankful for autumn, cooler temperatures, and a little pumpkin spice latte.

Cartoon of a man praying at a pulpit. He says, "And we give thanks for a football season that supplies ample sports illustrations."

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

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CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

Crisis at the Welcome Center

Cartoon of a guy coming up to an annoyed woman at a welcome center. The woman says, "You again?"

In some churches, there is a little booth called, “The Welcome Center.” It’s a place where people can get information about church activities and get to know church members and staff.

Well of course, when I first heard the term, I wondered what would happen if you placed someone there that wasn’t very welcoming. Maybe a volunteer had a rough start to the morning. Or perhaps there is one guest that is a little annoying like this cartoon and the host just wasn’t in the mood to handle it.

There are ways to make a welcoming center more welcoming. As this post suggests, staffing it well is important. It mentions four mistakes in staffing a welcome center. Is having no one at the welcome center better than having Ms. Grumpy? I’m sure some churches have to face that dilemma on some Sundays.

Cartoon of a guy coming up to an annoyed woman at a welcome center. The woman says, "You again?"

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

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CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters technology cartoons

A Little Live Streaming Event

Cartoon of two people staring at a wet floor. One says, "Maybe we should tell the janitor we just started live streaming."
Published in the July, 2021 "CHOGNews."

I’ve had the pleasure of helping with some live streaming at the church we attend. I’m not talking about an unfortunate incident like in my cartoon, but setting a live presentation of a church service on Facebook Live.

We live in an amazing time where we can use technology on a shoestring budget. It was only a few short years ago that it was a major undertaking to broadcast a live event. Now, anyone with a smartphone can broadcast live. What an amazing world!

And yes, small churches with maintenance issues can have a live stream going on during the live service while they still have plumbing issues in another part of the building. It’s no longer the big broadcasting conglomerates with ample money that can go live. In fact, you could even have a snarky teenager broadcasting the live flooding event while the big event is going on in another part of the building. That is also the nature of today’s technology.

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

Cartoon of two people staring at a wet floor. One says, "Maybe we should tell the janitor we just started live streaming."
Published in the July, 2021 “CHOGNews.”
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When things change, find a new melody

As I get older, it’s fun to see friends and peers reinventing themselves. Pivoting has been essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and many people have done just that. I wrote this article about two musicians that found their place during the pandemic.

Jay and Amy Rouse Find a New Melody

I especially like one piece of advice Jay gave to musicians. It is something we can all benefit from.

Jay encourages [musicians] to plan, but be flexible. “It’s everybody’s motto these days. And it’s never been truer: live with open hands.”

Article: Jay and Amy Rouse Finds a New Melody

Our best-laid plans were upended in 2020. Everyone has had to find a way to live and work in an alternative way. Some of us have struggled while others have been able to make it work. Resilience and the willingness to change have made a big difference when it has felt like the world was falling apart.

Life rarely goes the way we hoped it would. There are happy surprises as well as unpleasant ones. The future is rarely as predictable as we would like to think it is. Even as there are signs of improvement in COVID vaccines and the economy, we will face some setbacks along the way.

Live with open hands. Find a new melody. Be flexible. It is great advice now and will be great advice in the near and distant future.

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church cartoons technology cartoons

How to have a bad virtual church board meeting

Cartoon of a man at a laptop. he says, "Welcome to the virtual church board meeting... Ed, in your frame, we can only see your big nose."

It’s too easy to have a bad virtual meeting. We’ve all had to learn how to frame ourselves in a camera. Some have learned to adjust. Others have had some major faux pas.

A few weeks ago, a Texas lawyer had such a problem. He couldn’t figure out how to turn off a cat filter during a legal hearing. Many parents chuckled about that one. Yet many also secretly thought, “When I share a computer with my kid, I hope she doesn’t do that to me.” Perhaps the kids are getting back at us for times we’ve used technology to spy on them.

You may know how to have a bad virtual church board meeting. But what are some ways to have a good meeting?

  • Make good use of the mute button when you aren’t speaking
  • Remember you have the mute button on and turn it off before you speak!
  • Consider the lighting. If you can’t see yourself very well in the screen because the lighting is too bright, you may want to do something about it.
  • Give the speaker feedback with positive gestures such as a smile and a nod when they make a point
  • Pay attention and stay focused on the meeting
  • Turn off notifications before you share a screen

Two more tips; pay attention to how close or far away you are from the camera… and keep your nose clean!

Cartoon of a man at a laptop. he says, "Welcome to the virtual church board meeting... Ed, in your frame, we can only see your big nose."

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.