Blogging to the Flock

Hi all -- hope you had a good weekend. Saw a blogging item in local fishwrap on Sunday -- it was a Washington Post article entitled, 'Cyber-Savvy Pastors Blog When the Spirit Moves Them.'

The article was about how some technically-proficient pastors are reaching out to their congregations and communities via blogs.

Why blogs? Pretty much for the same reasons that people of all collars blog: Blogs are great for maintaining contact with people on an ongoing basis. Ministers are able to extend their relationships throughout the week (so not just on Sundays).

Plus, the conversational nature of blogs also gives the opportunity for
spiritual leaders to give folks a look behind the pulpit, and to personalize themselves and their message (not to mention let
congregants participate), in a way that a weekly sermon may not.

Of course, let's not forget that blogs are a way to reach out to young folks who do seemingly everything via their online social networks.

Just as pastors and ministers seek the benefits of blogs, so too do they face some of the challenges; take this quote:

Bailey said building a successful blog is not as easy as posting church newsletters and Sunday sermons under a clever domain name.

"The most common temptation is when you don't know what to write about, and you see that bulletin sitting on your desk," he said. "People are not interested in blogs that are PR announcements. It needs to be the personal voice of an individual."

Yes, even those who are blogging to save souls may need to struggle with writers' block from time to time.

Thanks -- Joe