Interesting question? If you are a church leader, should you be thinking about blogging? This issue keeps coming up in conversations I'm having with church and ministry leaders.
My opinion is... Yes, it is something you should be discussing and praying about. Thus some Red Bull for your brain:
- Blogs are a great way to connect with your congregation. And... a great way for them to connect with you. There are all kinds of blogs and all kinds of ways to do a blog, but for Pastors/Priests/Ministers/Ministry Leaders blogging offers a unique platform for conversation that can create wonderful intimacy and connectedness.
- Multiply your time. Blogging is a commitment to be sure, but it is also a great way to dialog and stay connected with many people. I don't know that it will reduce the number of your inbound phone calls, but it will extend your reach and impact. And if done well, it's a great way to keep you finger on the pulse of your community.
- Who better? Your community (and the broader online community at large) are already listening to someone - why not you?
- Encourage engagement. Well done blogs are a great way to stir up excitement and participation. Church newsletters are nice, but you might find it is easier to muster support and engagement for the Christmas thing (a technical term for "whatever") by inviting last years participants to guest-post on your blog about their experiences last year.
- You might just like it. You might find that through the journey you'll learn things about yourself, your church and your community that you cannot imagine today.
And somewhat selfishly, as a Christian engaged in the web, I think we need more good Biblical voices in the conversation. The world wide web is loaded with people, opinions and discussion. We need more voices for truth sharing wisdom, insights and struggles. Honest interaction. Sharing the good the bad and the ugly. I'm not necessarily saying they'll pick you over the latest celebrity hoopla, but why not give them a choice. Dispel the myths that Christians are Bible-thumping arrogant know-it-alls.
We need more solid disciples authentically sharing their journey and willing to engage with others.
Thus I encourage you to prayerfully consider, should You be blogging?
This post is part of a series:
Chris Goodman is the Director of Ministry Development for the global internet ministry of bible.org. He is also the Director of Business Development for bible.org's publishing ministry, NET Bible Press. Chris' skills do not include speeling, grammar, or biosciences. He does however have a passion for being faithfully submitted to Jesus Christ, seeking effective models for ministry in the 21st century and partnering with others in the journey.
I think it's a great idea. Kinship is fostered when relationships are cultivated!
I agree--I think it's an excellent way for pastor's to "socialize" and connect with their congregations as well as keep up with what's going on in the cyber world in general.
I will say that some of this is contextualization. If you happen to be at a church where most of your congregation doesn't spend a lot of time online, it may not be your best focus as a pastor.
Chris - I agree, wholeheartedly! I think if you have the gifts that work in this medium, then you should be engaging it. Christ is glorified in a myriad of ways through this medium. Your blog here is a great example! I'm glad I found it ! *Subscribed
Right, each person must prayerfully discern if this is best for their community.