Wanna See My Picture On The Cover, Wanna Buy Five Copies For My Mother, Wanna See My Smilin' Face On The Cover Of The Rolling Stone

Here's what my updated bio is going to say:

Brent McKinney, Pastor of Discipleship & Mobilization

Areas of Ministry:

Christian Education: Development and implementation of the educational ministries at Crossroads. This includes Sunday School & mid-week learning opportunities for adults, as well as direct supervision and oversight of children's and student ministries. Responsible for recruitment and training of teachers, and working in concert with each ministry at CBC to support curriculum development and review.

5 O'Clock Worship: Heads the creative team that designs and implements the evening worship services and educational opportunities.

Biography:

Brent has served at Crossroads since August, 1996 as our Pastor of Student Ministries. In March of 2007 he began his current position. He has a Master of Arts degree in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary. He completed his undergraduate work at Auburn University. Prior to his ministry at CBC, he worked with Youth for Christ in Birmingham, Alabama for seven years.
Brent and his wife, Tracy, have been married since 1988. They have two children, Kelsey and Shelby. Tracy is a photographer and Brent has been in ministry since they were married.

Then, we're all supposed to wear collared shirts today because...

...after work...

...there's a nice man who attends our church who's going to take our photographs for the website and other stuff we might need photographs for.

Really...I'm fine with this. It is what it is.

The generation who makes these types of decisions views the Internet as a way to find out information. You know, like what time the service starts, or how to get to the church, or if there's child-care available...maybe download a sermon or two or 70. Photos of the staff and what they do. That kind of stuff.

But the generation I'm a part of (proud, card-carrying GenXer!) and the generation I'm accustomed to serving view the Internet as a form of community. And, to be a part of that community, your web pages and social networking sites are designed so a reader can get to know you. They want to have forums where you discuss the sermon or class, find out where the church does church on days that aren't Sunday, or what the major emphases of the church happen to be...maybe download a sermon or two. In short, they're picking up on not only what information they happen to get but also they see that how they get it and how it's presented says something about the church, or school, or organization, etc.

Much like famed photographer Annie Leibovitz does when she takes photgraphs for magazine covers...she wants to capture the essence of the subject and be able to have people make a connection with that person by looking at the photo. My wife does the same thing whether it's kids, senior photos or weddings. Some people have that gift. Others don't.

Anyway, with that approach in mind, here's what I think our "bios" should look like:

Areas of Ministry:

Walks with Christ. Loves his family. Loves and serves our church family...primarily by providing opportunities for our church family to walk humbly with God and live in His Word. These "means" lead to the "end" of God transforming their lives in such a way that they will love those that God loves and allow individuals to do justice and love mercy as they glorify Him by how they live their lives in the areas that God has placed them.

Biography:

Brent believes that longevity and stability are important in ministry and has been at CBC since August, 1996, with no plans to go anywhere else. He also finds that God is constantly refining interests and skills and after nearly a decade of serving in the student ministry, he took a lateral move (certainly not a promotion) to discipling adults. On his wall are framed documents identifying his competence for ministry as well as his academic development and training, but he'd rather you look at the lives of those he's served for credentials.

He truly believes his wife Tracy is beautiful and she inspires him with her artistic endeavors through photography. He believes that his daughters, Kelsey and Shelby, are tremendous blessings as well as arrows in his quiver, designed by God to walk in the way they should go. He champions the underdog as evidenced by his love for the Auburn Tigers, and tends to be a purist of sorts as he believes the N.L. version of The Great Game is vastly superior to the A.L.'s. He cherishes his Ramones & Nirvana & Robert Johnson CD's, reads voraciously, writes neurotically. He enjoys a hearty Malbec with his steaks and finds movies and theology to intertwine. He loves dogs and extended family...sometimes in that order, sometimes not. His favorite moments are with friends, laughing uncontrollably and inappropriately. On his gravestone he wants Micah 6:8 quoted along with the words "...and he walked alongside others instructing them to do the same."

Now, as for the photo, I'm no photographer...

...but if my wife (who is better than Annie Leibovitz at this...trust me) were taking a photo that would be one I'd want on the cover of Rolling Stone to capture my "image":

I'd think it'd be me, sitting at Starbucks in a big purple chair, with my hair down, iPod ear buds in my ears, reading a copy of Douglas Coupland's "Generation X." My coffee would be on the table beside me, but in my ceramic Starbucks mug from Seattle, with a laptop open and The Diner visible on the screen. My jeans would have holes in the knees and I'd be wearing my Chuck Taylor All-Star Converse sneakers. Walking behind the chair on the other side of the windows would be my former students Katherine, Bailey, Abby, Kristy & Marky Mark, Michael & Katie, Steve-O, Joshua & Nathan...as they'd represent entire families I've particularly enjoyed serving, but behind all of them in the parking lot (and you'd have to search the photo much like you search The Beatles' Sargeant Pepper album cover to find them all) would be as many of my former students and their families as we could fit.

Yeah.

I think that'd be the stuff most folks would want to know and see on a web page.

But I think, once again, I'm far afield from my fellow man.

Because today will be about bios and photos with collared shirts.

Dangit.