The Blogging Church E-Book

Brian Bailey

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: J-B Leadership Network Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 343

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

The Blogging Church offers church leaders a field manual forusing the social phenomenon of blogs to connect people and buildcommunities in a whole new way. Inside you will find the why, what,and how of blogging in the local church. Filled with illustrativeexamples and practical advice, the authors answer key questionslearned on the frontlines of ministry: Is blogging a tool or atoy? What problems will blogging solve? How does it benefitministry? How do I build a great blog? and Who am I bloggingfor? The Blogging Church is a handbook that will inspire andequip you to join the conversation. The book includes contributions from five of the most popularbloggers in the world--Robert Scoble, Dave Winer, KathySierra, Guy Kawasaki, and Merlin Mann, as well as interviews withblogging pastors such as Mark Driscoll, Craig Groeschel, TonyMorgan, Perry Noble, Greg Surratt, Mark Batterson, and manymore.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

leadership network titles

Dedication

about leadership network

Foreword

preface

THE BLOGGING REVOLUTION

TECHNOLOGY, THEOLOGY, AND METHODOLOGY

THE CASE FOR BLOGGING

WHAT’S INSIDE

chapter 1 - The story of blogging

BLOGS GO PUBLIC

A NEW WORLD

BLOG YOUR CHURCH

chapter 2 - Why blog?

IS IT A TOOL OR A TOY?

SHOULD MY CHURCH BECOME A BLOGGING CHURCH?

chapter 3 - share news

WHY A BLOG?

HOW CAN A BLOG HELP SHARE NEWS AND TELL STORIES?

chapter 4 - cast vision

HOW TO USE BLOGS TO CAST THE VISION OF YOUR CHURCH

chapter 5 - reach out

START CONVERSATIONS

REACH OUT TO OTHERS

DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS

BUILD COMMUNITY

CONCLUSION

chapter 6 - connect your staff

CONNECTED

INFORMED

EXPANDING THE CIRCLE

chapter 7 - learn from others

READ

JOIN THE BACK-AND-FORTH

EXPAND YOUR INNER CIRCLE

chapter 8 - spread the word

A COFFEE SHOP CONVERSATION

LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

chapter 9 - get started

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

DOES THE BLOG BELONG TO YOU OR THE CHURCH?

IS YOUR BLOG PERSONAL, PROFESSIONAL, OR ORGANIZATIONAL?

WHO IS THE BLOG FOR?

HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY?

DO YOU HAVE A NAME FOR YOUR BLOG?

CONGRATULATIONS, IT’S A BLOG!

HOW TO WRITE

WHAT TO WRITE

MAKE IT LOOK GOOD

AN UNEXPECTED AUDIENCE

ETIQUETTE

chapter 10 - build a better blog

TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND HOW TO CONTACT YOU

A DISCLAIMER IS YOUR FRIEND (SOME RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY)

USE CATEGORIES

MAKE IT EASY TO SUBSCRIBE

SYNDICATE THE ENTIRE POST

DON’T BE AFRAID TO PROMOTE

PUBLISH DURING HIGH-TRAFFIC TIMES

MORE POSTS EQUAL MORE TRAFFIC

COUNT ME IN

CHECK LICENSE PLATES

CONTENT BRINGS GOOGLE

CLICK YOUR OWN LINKS

COMMENT ON OTHER SITES AND YOUR OWN

DON’T AVOID THE DRAFT

DON’T USE WHITEOUT

THE MORE YOU WRITE, THE MORE YOU’LL HAVE TO SAY

DON’T BURY THE GOOD STUFF

SHARE THE LOVE

PINGS, TRACKBACKS, AND TAGS—OH MY!

DEVELOP AN AUTHENTIC VOICE

chapter 11 - build a really bad blog

TEN STEPS TO A BAD BLOG

chapter 12 - feed your head: rss

GETTING STARTED

CHOOSE A NEWSREADER—IN THIRTY SECONDS

SUBSCRIBE

FIND THE BEST BLOGS

HOW MANY ARE TOO MANY?

HUNDREDS OF WEBSITES DELIVERED FRESH DAILY

chapter 13 - podcasting

LISTEN

CREATE

chapter 14 - warning labels

NO COMMENT?

PERSONAL STAFF BLOGS

CONFIDENTIALITY

A MATTER OF TRUST

chapter 15 - built to last

DO I LIVE IN THE TOWN OF ACRIMONY?

DO I CARE MORE ABOUT NUMBERS, OR WORDS?

WHAT IS MY MOTIVATION?

AM I ADDICTED?

IS IT TIME TO QUIT?

chapter 16 - the one thing

LESSONS AND WISDOM FOR YOUR BLOGGING JOURNEY

notes

Acknowledgments

the authors

index

Copyright © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by Jossey-Bass

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bailey, Brian (date).

The blogging church : sharing the story of your church through blogs /

p. cm.—(Leadership network)

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7879-8487-8 (pbk.) ISBN-10: 0-7879-8487-6 (pbk.)

1. Church work—Blogs. 2. Church officers—Interviews. 3. Church—Blogs. 4. Pastoral theology—Blogs. I. Storch, Terry (date) II. Title.

BV4400.B285 2007

254’.3—dc22

2006032154

PB Printing

leadership network titles

The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs, by Brian Bailey with Terry Storch

Leading from the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams, by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson

The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers, by Jonathan S. Campbell with Jennifer Campbell

Leading the Team-Based Church: How Pastors and Church Staffs Can Grow Together into a Powerful Fellowship of Leaders, by George Cladis

Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, by Neil Cole

Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders, by Earl Creps

Leading Congregational Change Workbook, by James H. Furr, Mike Bonem, and Jim Herrington

Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for the Transformational Journey, by Jim Herrington, Mike Bonem, and James H. Furr

The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, by Jim Herrington, Robert Creech, and Trisha Taylor

Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out, by Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro, with Warren Bird

A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey, by Brian D. McLaren

The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian, by Brian D. McLaren

Practicing Greatness: 7 Disciplines of Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders, by Reggie McNeal The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church, by Reggie McNeal

A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders, by Reggie McNeal

The Millennium Matrix: Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church, by M. Rex Miller

Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches, by Milfred Minatrea

The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence, by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and Ken McElrath

The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World, by Alan J. Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk

The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken About Pastoral Transitions, by Carolyn Weese and J. Russell Crabtree

To my wife, Lori, for her endless encouragement and loving guidance, and my son, Ben, for his inspiring example of creativity, kindness, and enthusiasm.

BRIAN BAILEY

To my wife, Robin. Thank you for being a remarkable Proverbs 31 woman.

TERRY STORCH

about leadership network

Since 1984, Leadership Network has fostered church innovation and growth by diligently pursuing its far-reaching mission statement: to identify, connect, and help high-capacity Christian leaders multiply their impact.

Although Leadership Network’s techniques adapt and change as the church faces new opportunities and challenges, the organization’s work follows a consistent and proven pattern: Leadership Network brings together entrepreneurial leaders who are focused on similar ministry initiatives. The ensuing collaboration—often across denominational lines—creates a strong base from which individual leaders can better analyze and refine their own strategies. Peer-to-peer interaction, dialogue, and sharing inevitably accelerate participants’ innovation and ideas. Leadership Network further enhances this process through developing and distributing highly targeted ministry tools and resources, including audio and video programs, special reports, e-publications, and online downloads.

With Leadership Network’s assistance, today’s Christian leaders are energized, equipped, inspired, and better able to multiply their own dynamic Kingdom-building initiatives.

Launched in 1996 in conjunction with Jossey-Bass (a Wiley imprint), Leadership Network publications present thoroughly researched and innovative concepts from leading thinkers, practitioners, and pioneering churches. The series collectively draws from a range of disciplines, with individual titles offering perspective on one or more of five primary areas:

1. Enabling effective leadership

2. Encouraging life-changing service

3. Building authentic community

4. Creating Kingdom-centered impact

5. Engaging cultural and demographic realities

For additional information on the mission or activities of Leadership Network, please contact:

Leadership Network www.leadnet.org(800) 765-5323 [email protected]

foreword

I love technology, but not as much as you, you see. But I still love technology, always and forever.

If you haven’t seen the film Napoleon Dynamite, you are missing out. This was the song Napoleon’s cousin Kip sang at the end of the movie as the credits were rolling.

If you know me, you know I have a love-hate relationship with technology. Every weekend, I get to see some of the cool things technology can do. In addition to our main campus in Grapevine, Fellowship Church has three satellite campuses in the Dallas area and one in Miami, where I am able to speak through the power of video and some amazing, Texas-sized screens. We use sound, HD video, and lighting to enhance the worship experience. Our website gives people what they need to know, whether they’re trying Fellowship for the first time or have been plugged in for years.

I’ve seen the other side of technology, too. I’ve seen money spent on stuff that was the latest and greatest but wasn’t really needed. I’ve seen technology used as a crutch to avoid the hard work of ministry. I’ve seen tools get in the way of people talking to people. If you’re not careful, technology will become the tail that wags the dog. Trust me: the dog will be a pit bull.

The authors of this book understand that reality. They know firsthand the ups and downs of technology intersecting with the world of ministry. Brian Bailey and Terry Storch have been on the front lines of ministry for more than six years. Brian leads our web team and Terry is the campus pastor of our Dallas location. These guys have experienced the incredible challenges of ministry firsthand. They know all about blogging and what it can do in the church, but this isn’t a fairy-tale look at blogging or a pie-in-the-sky sales pitch. This is the real deal.

Since I was old enough to open my mouth, I have loved asking questions. I don’t know how you can be an effective leader without constantly questioning your staff, pastors, leaders, yourself, and God. This book is all about questions. You know they’re good questions when they’re the kind that make you uncomfortable. What is your motivation for writing? Is your blog a tool or a toy? What problem are you trying to solve? These are tough questions that will help you decide if blogs are right for you and your church.

I have a daughter in college, and she uses technology in a whole new way. There’s a generation coming that spends a huge part of their lives online. A creative church, a spiritually mature church, is one that is comfortable with uncomfortableness. You wouldn’t be reading this book if you weren’t willing to do a lot of different things, to get outside of the box, in order to reach those who don’t know Jesus Christ. The church has to be willing to change, go into new places, and be uncomfortable, or we will no longer matter to the people who matter so much to God.

I had the chance to sit down with Bono from U2 a couple of months ago. U2 is my favorite band, so let’s just say I made time in my schedule to meet with him. He said something very simple, yet profound: “Christianity is not about the blessme club. It’s not about the holy huddle. It’s about others.”

That’s what it comes down to in the end. Is blogging about you, or is it about others? When a blog is all about us, we turn inward and get dragged into endless debate that doesn’t amount to anything. We stare at our navels and sing Kumbaya while the rest of the world goes to Hell. When a blog is about others, we swallow our egos and put all of our energy into getting people connected to Christ and His bride, the local church.

As you consider the benefits of blogging, continue to ask those tough leadership questions. Be comfortable with your uncomfortableness. Never forget that the church—the blogging church being no exception—is about impacting others. Always and forever!

God’s best, Ed Young Senior Pastor Fellowship Church

preface

Do you have a favorite story?

I love the story of how two Stanford graduate students spent endless nights in their dorm room creating a website where you could search the Internet in an unprecedented way. The site had an odd address, Google.com, and it changed how we find and use information.

I love the story of how Fellowship Church, where I work and worship, started in 1990 with 150 people in an office complex and in sixteen years grew to five campuses with more than 20,000 people attending.

I love the story about how Apple Computer started with two people in a Silicon Valley garage and eight years later changed the world of computing forever with the original Macintosh.