Anthony Coppedge, whom many of you had the chance to meet and talk to at #dirt09...has given us quite a rare opportunity.  His e-book, The Reason Your Church Must Twitter, is available for free download for the next 48 hours (just expired) for those of you who attended the Dirt Conference.  If you spent time in the Social Networking 101 or 201 classes (and there's no use faking it...we know who you are) then you know how valuable Twitter can be to help you stay connected to the people in your church or organization.  Here's a short description from his website :

This E-Book is about Twitter, a social networking tool that combines the ease of cell phone text messaging with the power of email. The purpose of this book is not to give you one more thing to learn or manage. Rather, the purpose is to provide churches with a *helpful, easy* and *practical guide* to reaching the right people with the right message - for free.

Twitter’s tag line is “What are you doing?” This question is answered, literally, by millions of users throughout the day, every day. Churches can easily provide timely, helpful information and resources to their communities; from small groups to volunteer leaders to ministry participants, Twitter is a very straightforward tool that even the non-technical people in your church can start using in literally a matter of minutes, right from their cell phones.

If you've got people in your church who could use a crash course on the why's of Twitter...then this is the book for them.  It's not expensive and a must for your crew and the people they're leading.

Check out the e-book here.

Here's Anne Jackson's response to our recent email and it's a real zinger:

You are so welcome. I know you realize how important my time is, especially as I was looking to purchase my third Leer jet. How did you find out I was making enough money to purchase a small country -- (Well, technically it’s only a private island but regardless, it helps me hoard my money so I don’t have to pay taxes.) After the third millionth copy of Mad Church Disease sold, that was the time we decided to make that call. We feel like we can worship God much more intimately in the privacy of our own island. There’s a myth that Christian authors don’t make any money and now it’s busted! Can I send you a gold dove with your name inscribed on it to thank you?

But wait, that’s not all we’re supposed to talk about. Sorry.

You asked me could I get possibly nicer? I’m not sure. I did just lose 2500 of my closest friends on Facebook. I am praying they don’t have rejection issues. Your book on Rabies is a stellar idea. In fact, you’d be happy to know I had not only one – but TWO cheeseburgers last week. You see, it’s probably been six months or more since I’ve eaten something with red meat. And I don’t know if this is normal or not, but I wake up every morning and my pillow is drenched with slobber. Am I foaming at the mouth in my sleep? Have I caught my own future-book’s disease?

Some accused me of closing down my Facebook as a publicity stunt, but I like your ideas to find myself in the spotlight  much better. I would love to have a throw down in a coffee house sometime with a fan. Can I pick which one? And the hunting without a license thing. Well, let’s just say I may (or may not be) already be guilty of that indiscretion. I am originally from Texas, you know. And Tennessee did just pass a law giving people the permission to carry in guns to bars. Not that I’d be at a bar. Well. Just maybe for the music. And it would be Christian music. And no dancing. Or cards. I am originally Baptist, you know. Can I say that? And not mean it?

So, now on to this whole Dirt Conference thing. Do you realize that you will be developing a brand that could potentially have less-appropriate connotations? Are you personally prepared for people to begin calling you Dirty Boy?

Your turn, Dirty Boy.

If you're wondering why we've launched out over the Twitter, blog and Facebook airways (there really is no airway).  It's because we're passionate about dirt and we've promised ourselves that we won't spend a single cent on marketing this conference.  We are hoping that you'll help us spread the word about this conference and here's why.

 What's the point of letting everyone know that they can use what they have to do something great and then turn around and spend thousands of dollars marketing this conference?  It'd be pretty ridiculous if you ask us.  So here's what we've been doing...  Contest giveaways using free shirts that were designed by people like Joshua Blankenship.  Giving away tickets to help promote #dirt09.  An awards show at Dirt and putting the nominations in the hands of you, the people.  All you do is simply nominate someone for the #dirt09dirtys and help spread the word.  Those finalists are up for some cool prizes and trophies at the conference.

 We made hand-written napkins that were donated by local restaurants.  We made a dirtconference.com rubber stamp and put our logo on thousands of recycled paper from local copy companies.  Even made mud pies and presented them at an ARC Church Planters Roundtable meeting and gave them dessert with a duct tape flag sticking out of them.

So here's a thought...  What can you do for your next series or outreach that doesn't cost anything?  What can you do for someone else that doesn't break the bank - and leaves a lasting impression?

What can you make with what you already have?

We recently wrote a quick email to Anne Jackson, speaker at Dirt and author of Mad Church Disease...  Here's the email - stay tuned for her response.

Anne,  thanks for agreeing to exchange emails with me even though your book "Mad Church Disease" has already made you a multi-platinum selling author, global domination public speaker and you now have enough money to purchase a small country.  Please don't forget me when you need someone to taste test all your food for you before you eat at a fine dining establishment.  Anyways, I have an idea for your new book.  And in the spirit of the Dirt Conference...of course this idea will be free.

You're known for being one of the most beloved queens of blogging and your books are selling off the shelf, right?  So what's next from here?  Can you possibly get any nicer?  NO.  Mad Church Disease helped people realize that they're not alone in the struggle to balance life, work and the burnout of working in a church.  From here - we think the next best thing is for you start working on your follow up novel titled: "Rabies".  It's the perfect transition to what happens if people don't get things in check.  They should heed the advice in your book but if not....it doesn't look good.  Here's how it works:

You start slowly changing the way you look and act in order to promote the next book.  Trade in your Volkswagen Jetta for the biggest Dodge Ram truck they make.  Tinted windows of course and put some of those fake bullet hole stickers down the side.  Start introducing more meat into your diet and work on your scowl.  People will automatically wonder what's going on and everybody knows curiosity sells books.

Think of it as the ultimate Robert DeNiro method act of all time.  Dirt is all about how to use what you have and being creative and we think this is a good way for you to start working on a new transition over to fiction.  As you get meaner and meaner, the public curiosity will help catapult you into stardom like you've never imagined.  Of course, we can stage some coffee house fights with you and a fan... or even catch you hunting without a license.  Whatever is needed to bring your level of "mean and reckless" to an all time high. 

This does have a slight chance of backfiring like it did on Steve Martin, inventor of the Opti-Grab in the movie The Jerk....but it's a chance you're going to have to take.

Volley for serve.  You're up, Jackson!

The Grammys.  The Emmys.  The Dirtys.  

Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?  We'd like to honor the people who are out there in the church creative world (which is made of marshmallows) and creating some amazing stuff and making a difference. At #dirt09, we'll be hosting an awards show that will bring you to tears, to your feet and more than likely - to the edge. We're giving away awards, prizes and your very own Dirty trophy.

So here's what we want.  We want you to nominate someone.  Anyone.  Nominate a church or a person or a video or a group of people.  From anywhere in the US (or Canada - because we love Maple Syrup) and here are the categories:

1.  Best Created-from-Scratch
2.  Worship Making a Difference
3.  Best Sermon Series
4.  Best In-Service Video

To nominate someone, all you need to do is jump on Twitter and tell us who you are nominating, and why, using the hashtag #dirt09dirtys".  You can also nominate by responding to this post by leaving a comment.

If you've ever dreamt of being a seat filler at a Major Award show - guess what.  You're a seat filler now at the Dirtys.  And we can't wait to give away some great prizes and honor people who are making some great stuff.  But we can't do it without you.  You've got to nominate your friends, your videos, your series ideas, whatever.

Let the award season begin.  We're putting our tuxedo in the Dryel bag and tossing it in the dryer right now.