A few weeks ago I attended the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, TN. It was my first time, and I met quite a few terrific communicators who are faithful in sharing the gospel across old, new, and emerging media. I came away greatly encouraged at the increasing ways in which 21st-century technology is allowing Christ to be heard.

One of the most fascinating and engaging people I met was Toni Birdsong, author of a new book, @stickyJesus. If the title makes you scratch your head, well, that's the point. Toni, a creator, designer, and communications strategist, and her friend, Tami Heim, have started a movement with the same title, Sticky Jesus. What impressed me about Tami, her book, and about the content on her site, Sticky Jesus, is the depth. This is not just another shiny marketing tool. She provides great depth from the scriptures and applies them to our behavior online. Let's face it: we live in a digital world. Over 500 million people are active users of Facebook. So how do Christians a) act online and b) use these emerging technologies to advance the gospel?

Tami has stopped by to chat with me for today's Friday Five.

Sticky Jesus is a "sticky" title. How did you arrive at the concept? 

"Sticky" is a marketing term that means "to attract and make stay." To be "sticky" is the goal of any marketing message or website. A sticky marketing message adheres to a consumer's psyche and motivates a purchasing decision. A sticky web site (or post) engages a visitor so they stay around, explore, act, and come back.

In @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online, we flip the idea of "sticky" and apply it to the attributes of Christ and His message of salvation. The gospel is the stickiest message ever to hit the heart of mankind. It continues to do its transforming, eternal work and outlive hundreds of transient theologies. We challenge Christ followers online to be "sticky" like Jesus—loving, engaging, praying, and responding in ways that run contrary to much of our culture.

We define sticky as: The message that holds fast, adheres and clings to the heart of every generation. Eternal content independent of time, change, and cyberspace.

The book is an intentional fusion of marketing, discipleship, and technology. We want to equip Christians to navigate this commerce-driven arena of marketing. We want them to transcend the streaming "me" culture of self-promotion (discipleship). We want them to learn the tools that will allow them to influence the culture around them (technology).

We've started the #LiveSticky movement online. The twibbon (icon) on your avatar publically tells others (and reminds you) that you've been set apart and have resolved to live—and interact—like Christ online.