CentUp - A way to practice generosity

You know how there are those "share" buttons around the internet? You can post something to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, G+, Pintrest, etc. with just a push of a button. (for instance you can share this post!)

Here is the thing, many people who create internet content do not want to have ads all over their stuff. Additionally, ads are based on the idea of selling you something. ​

​CentUp is another model for generating money that is based on your generosity and not trying to convince you to buy something you don't want. And it is fully funded!!! 

From their fundraising website:​

What is CentUp?

CentUp is an intentionally simple button that lives next to all kinds of web content. It lets people toss a few cents at blog posts, photos, videos, and songs they really love. The kicker? Half that money goes to charity.

That is it! Do you see how awesome this is and can be!​

Imagine a button, next to the "share buttons", that allows you to give a direct contribution to the creator of the content. Oh, and in case you missed it, half of the donation you make goes to charity. ​

So, be among the first to give a buck to the development of this tool to better the internet and contribute to the demise of those "wonderful ads" we all love...​

Why going to the corner may foil spritual formation

Sending our kids to the corner when they are being punished may not be the worst thing in the world, but it may be problematic when it comes to spiritual formation.

If the only time that we are intentionally put into solitude is when we are being punished, then, like the dogs of Pavlov, we will begin to associate solitude with punishment.  

St. John of the Cross said that the first language of God is silence and yet we may be raising up a generation of people who fear silence and solitude.  

While it my be helpful, using solitude as a means of punishment it may very well constrain spiritual formation.  

Kickstart Sunday - I want to do this

Kickstarter "is a funding platform for creative projects. Everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of ambitious, innovative, and imaginative projects that are brought to life through the direct support of others."

I would love to have a church run it's ministry this way. Take some of the rules of Kickstarter and blend them into a ministry setting. It might look like this:​

​There are ministry projects that are in a common space. Each project has a set of criteria that every project submits (needed costs, number of volunteers, timeline for launch, etc.). Then people go around and literally support the project at a certain level. If the goal(s) of the ministry are met, then the ministry project happens. If not, then it does not. 

Granted there are move moving parts to this, but you get the gist. ​

Kickstart Sunday. Now if only I could find a church that would do this...​