LookUpDetroit Presentation

365 days a year and
100’s of ways to make
an IMPACT all around
Metro Detroit,
REACH OUT to our
own neighbors, and
have FUN doing it
together!

Have you ever heard the saying?  “Many Christians are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good.” Not the way I see it! I see much good being done all around our Metro Detroit communities by people of faith.  Stories and accounts that get little attention about people with both good deeds and good news…

Southeast Michigan could use some good news right now !

Dear Metro Detroit Christian,

Our TV stations and other local media outlets won’t spend much time on the “daily dozen” of positive stories. Sadly, as the saying goes in the media; “If It Bleeds It Leads”. They are missing many helpful – positive views on family, faith, education, the arts, our local communities, and many other topics. We could help, but aren’t often invited into local media programming.  Some media is even unfriendly to the Christian community.

We have a lot to offer, but too few public outlets and platforms… but we live at an interesting time … things are rapidly changing.

Traditional media is struggling, more and more people are using the internet to connect to local issues and resources.
Right NOW ! … we have many opportunities to use this “New Media” for good . . . to be a help and blessing to our neighbors.  Jesus spoke about his disciples being the salt and light of the world. – Matthew, chapter 5
WE CAN AND SHOULD BE SOME EARTHLY GOOD !

“Give me a place to stand and a lever long enough, and I will move the world” – Archimedes, 220 BC

It’s not a new idea to want to change things and be of service! We may want to ask ourselves a few questions … Do we have a place to stand? A place of clear convictions? Are we really called to be salt and light in our world? Could we do a better job moving and impacting Metro Detroit?  Would be able to use longer levers if we worked together, stood together, lifted together?

I SAY YES !

“Work for the good of the city where I’ve taken you as captives, and pray to the LORD for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.”  – Jeremiah 29:7

Let’s not be pigeon holed us as “boring believers” that are best left in some obscure corner. We love Jesus, believe in the Bible, but we aren’t one-dimensional, and don’t believe Jesus is one-dimensional either. We have contributions to make to our neighborhoods, our towns, our region and our nation.  We have many interests, hobbies, talents, local resources to share, goods news for others, great books to recommend, movies to review, information about local places and events.   We are called to make an impact as good neighbors!

Should we be looking for some long levers?
That’s exactly why I’m writing to you today…
I would like to introduce you to a local website designed to help us reach out together – to our own neighbors and beyond. It’s time for us to share our stories, information, events, volunteer opportunities, pictures, videos, church news and other interests.  Together, we can reach far beyond our church buildings, and make meaningful connections throughout Metro Detroit.

What is LookUpDetroit.com ?

It is a Community Portal full of web links, tools and content; designed as a helpful free resource to anyone and everyone in Metro Detroit. It’s been created to be a bridge between city and suburbs, believers and non-believers, churches and charities. LookUpDetroit.com is a place for us and others to publish positive, helpful news for and about our communities.   It is a local web resource compatible with Christian values, but covering all sorts of categories; such as Art, Sports, Learning, Business, Faith, Government, Local History and others. This local “lever” will be lengthened and the opportunities multiplied “a hundred fold” if we join our hands and efforts together.

Who’s Behind This? Who Am I?

This isn’t really about me, but you might want to know who I am. I’m Richard Dalton and have for the last number of years been focused on many of the needs and the needy of Metro Detroit. I’m an Evangelical, Christian Pastor, who has a strong interest in Christians working together in service to God and others. I have worked over the last few years as a “Metro Missionary” endeavoring to assist a number of organizations. Recently, I was asked to deliver the Invocation at the Michigan State Senate and in 2003, on my wife Theresa’s birthday, I offered the opening prayer at the United States Senate in Washington D.C. .  I believe God wants us as followers of Jesus to have a more public platform for our words and deeds.We live in Downtown Rochester and have five grown children, with our first grandchild due in July.

Publish or Perish!

I don’t believe it’s quite that dramatic, but publishing on the web is a very powerful tool. You’ll see LookUpDetroit.com has lots of room for articles, pictures and news in its magazine format.  You’ll also notice we have no ads, commercial intrusions or pop ups.   What’s needed now, are Churches, Businesses, Professionals, and YOU standing behind this effort. We invite youth groups to publish, local artists to get noticed, neighbors to pass on neighborly news.  A community website needs community involvement!  I don’t know what talents you have to bring, but I know there is a lot of talent and expertise out there! I am knocking on the door of Christians first, because this project is birthed out of Christian convictions and concerns. LookUpDetroit.com can be one tool to help get us off the sidelines and into the homes and offices of many around Metro Detroit.  It’s been created with our neighbors in mind.  Here, we can cover many interests and explore hundreds of ways to connect our communities and reach out to our neighbors.

Your Neighborly Metro Gateway’s Community Blog

A cooperative effort, like I’m describing would have been almost impossible a few years ago … but not anymore. If you’ve sent a group email, posted messages on facebook, twitter or pictures on flickr or other photo sites you are already a “publisher”! Amazing … what doors can open up with a user name and password!

We’d like some of you to become local media publishers and have set up an easy way to do it. We’ve created a group blog inviting local authors, photographers, businesses, professionals, churches, artists, and you to post right there!We ask for helpful, neighborly articles, pictures, news, events, videos, web links, audio messages and other content.  Each post will be accessed from the main site at  LookUpDetroit.com and easily found by search engines like Google and others.  With our built-in easy tools, authors or readers can also re-post to targeted and expanded audiences through facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Digg and many other social networking tools. How’s that for reaching out? This community blog will also give us great original family friendly content to choose from, and publish in the magazine format of LookUpDetroit.com.  We’ll all be getting news, photos and information from each of our Metro Communities!  Could that be a bridge builder? Don’t get the wrong idea!  There is no instant success in creating a large local audience, but I hope you can see how it will be both fun and worthwhile.  Have you ever heard the statement? “If You Build It, They Will Come”

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
– Yogi Berra

Yes, we have a choice.  Will we help in building a better culture of caring? I have to admit this is a bit of an experiment and a work in process.  Will Christians respond? Will we offer our talents?  Tell our stories? Will the wider community be served through this local family-friendly website?  Are there many of us willing to do this together? Let’s not kid ourselves. We are all aware of some of the divisions in Metro Detroit; divisions between city and suburbs, black and white, various churches and denominations and other dividing lines.  Can LookUpDetroit.com be used as one new tool to build bridges of better communications and understanding?

What Can You Do?

If you think this website could be an effective tool for Christians and others, I ask for your help this coming year as we are launching LookUpDetroit.com to the community. Together, let’s make this a local resource you’ll want to share with your neighbors, family and friends.   Join us in a unique partnership in reaching out to the wider community in both care and communication.

Mailing Address:

Look Up Detroit – Richard Dalton
440 Burroughs Street #629
Detroit, MI  48202

Phone:  248-656-4864
email:  richard@LookUpDetroit.com