Passionate about Jesus but not on Facebook
20 September 2013
My purpose here is to outline why I think it should play a major role in the life of a Christian who seeks to evangelise others, or more specifically is passionate about evangelism. Now if you’re new here or perhaps don’t speak Christianese I should define what mean by “evangelism”. It’s a Christian jargon word for talking to people about Jesus. My central thesis is this, if you’re interested in evangelism (telling people about Jesus), then you’re interested in people. If you’re interested in people you’ll use (or consider using) Facebook and other forms of social media to do this. It would be a mistake to think that I want people on mass to sign up blindly. Honestly there are enough thoughtless Facebookers and idiot trolls out there already. I’m arguing for using Facebook thoughtfully and intentionally.
Firstly I use Facebook because it’s practical. It allows me to keep track of large numbers of friends, connections that I have all over the world. As an early adopter of technology I have always sort to utilise things that enrich and extend my relationships both online and face to face. Practically speaking, it’s a case of using technology to help in task of relationships and relationship building... the context in which a Christian seeks to speak about what they believe.
Secondly it helps me to lead a life of love. Facebook means I know if one of my friends suffers loss or pain. I can send them a message of support whether publicly or privately. Sure more traditional forms of communication can still do this... but really when was the last time you hand wrote a letter to someone... about anything? With social media I can upscale my love. I can show my friends I care about them even the small things. I can celebrate great triumphs in the good times... and relate with empathy and compassion in the bad. The potential to live a life of love on Facebook is almost boundless.
Thirdly it allows me to my live life alongside other people authentically. My friends know about my successes, failures, embarrassments and struggles. While this takes boldness, perhaps even courage, it gives authenticity to relationships and to a Christians identity. Too often I think we censor our lives online to the detriment of authenticity. Christians are no different to unbelievers. We have messy lives, we don’t always have all the answers, we stuff up. Christians must be better at modelling a warts and all life where Jesus’ loves me and forgives me. Sure all posts have some form of self censorship imposed on them. There are lots of things I don’t post about. There is a tension between honesty and defamation, being interesting and thought provoking, being whingy and annoying. As I said before, it’s a mistake of authenticity when we censor all our failures and mistakes from others.
In conclusion if you’re not a Facebook person that’s fine. If you haven’t found what I’ve written here persuasive, feel free to walk away. Better to have thought about the issue and walked away, than to do it badly, or be someone who rants aimlessly against something they don’t understand. If I have persuaded you, Great! Get involved! For Christians and non believers alike it has the potential to enrich and deepen your relationships. If you already have Facebook perhaps it’s time to put some more thought into how you use it, or could use it more intentionally. Christian or not, let’s face it you already spend a lot of time there.
tags christian, ministry tips, thinking
Church MC and being number one on Google
27 August 2013
Even if MCing a church isn’t something you think you’ll ever do, many of the tips in my original post apply universally to any form of public speaking. So for all the people Googleing “church mc” and “ getting my blog take note. Here is another shot at advice on being an awesome MC.
Confidence - This would be one of the things that I notice the most. A confident MC will make the people in the audience feel comfortable. The MC needs to bear in mind that leading confidently allows the audience to consciously or unconsciously relax, and begin to feel at home. Confidence involves what you wear, how to speak and your body language. Often one will follow the other. If you dress well, the general rule is that behavior also lifts up a few notches. Part of being confident is to start strong.
What you wear - I always dress smartly if I’m MCing. This has an affect on how you are perceived. Ever wondered why most newsreaders always wear ties? Wondered why there aren’t many young men who read news... it’s all about perception and trust. As a minimum I recommend a shirt and shoes. If you’re going to wear a tee shirt make sure it’s a nice one. If you don’t know what “nice” is then a collared shirt is your home base.
How you speak - Speak clearly. Don’t use slang especially Christian slang. Make sure you can be heard at the back of the room. Practice before hand if necessary. Speaking with confidence sometimes involves “acting” the part. If you make a mistake it’s better to make it a big bold one. Don’t use words that visitors might not understand. Christian MCs are particularly guilty of this throwing round big words that are unnecessary.
Body Language - Use open not closed body language. Closed body language is defensive. Arms crossed is a key example. Use gestures. The bigger the space the stronger and bigger the gestures will need to be. Own the space it’s yours. You are the one steering the ship.
Clarity - One of the things that I get most annoyed about is “fill” language. For example “So ummm errrr yeah we’re going to pray now so let’s ummmm talk to God...”. Nearly everyone does it often out of nervousness. It’s much better if you’re praying just say “Let’s Pray” then pause for a moment then start. It’s not necessary to explain why we pray, or what we’re praying for. Ninety nine percent of the time it is completely self evident. If you have planned beforehand what you want to say this can easily be avioded. Have it written down if necessary.
You will always speak for longer than you think you do. People will always get bored before you notice they bored. Don’t talk for too long. Practice what you are going to say in front of the mirror or on location if possible. I said it before don’t use Christian jargon. Always remember the outsider or person who might be new needs to understand what you’re talking about.
Feedback - Feedback is important. A good MC should ask for and welcome feedback. No-one MCs perfectly. We’re all in the business of getting better. It can be helpful to provide a short pro-forma to someone listening can access your MCing and suggest improvements (while also telling what you’re good at).
Feel free to add more in the comments to be forever immortalised on the internet.
tags church, linkage, ministry tips
A more thoughtful engagement...
23 May 2013
When I posted about gay marriage I expected to cop some flack. Surprisingly most of the interaction was helpful. Having said that I’m sure there’s plenty out there who disagreed with my position.
Taking a step back, one criticism I thought was fair, was that I talked a lot about what Christians were doing wrong, but not a lot about what they do right, or could do right. Generally speaking it’s easier to criticise something you disagree with, than it is to set forth a positive framework for something you agree with. So in this post I thought I’d address how Christians could communicate more positively with the secular world on the issue of marriage, relationships and parenting.
You don’t need marketing experience to know that it’s more effective to market a positive message than a negative one. I find it frustrating that Christians seem to pigeon hole themselves into communicating constantly negative messages. “We're against X, we're against Y”. While there is a place for saying what we stand opposed to, Christians generally seem to fall into the trap of being exclusively negative. I’d like to see this balanced out a little more, with Christians looking to define themselves more positively. “Christians are for Z”.
In doing so Christians would communicate a more balanced understanding of what Christianity is to the world. Christians are for forgiveness, sacrifice, compassion, growth and love, driven to follow Jesus in laying down their lives for others not just against gay marriage, abortion and euthanasia.
“Excellent Marriage” is one example of positive marketing. The Excellent Marriage video was carefully thought through and positively framed. It focused on the positive ideas of sacrifice, growth and love. All of these are Christian concepts (although not exclusively so). Sadly, reading the speech on the Excellent Marriage webpage, it seems that the subtle tone and careful turn of phrase wasn’t really carried through from the video.
In the area of relationships Christians also have much to offer. One example could involve starting a discussion about what constitutes a “good” marriage or “great” relationships. Christians are for good relationships. This could be explored though couples forums and marriage training courses run by churches, but open to the wider community. Questions worth considering would include. How do common goals enrich relationships? What should those goals and purposes be? How does a Jesus and/or a Christian world view help us understand relationships? In my own life, my Christian belief has certainly helped me with my relationships.
More generally there is ample scope to encourage people to think about to make their relationships better. I was disappointed that more of my Christian friends didn’t get behind shows like the ABCs Making Couples Happy. The ideas and advice offered over the five week show, were most helpful and importantly sat comfortably within a Christian framework (although not exclusively).
My friend Adam blogged some excellent thoughts recently about what Christians can do more positively around the very difficult issue of abortion. While I don’t agree with everything in his post it is well worth a read if you haven’t read it already.
Similarly I really liked this idea from a group calling itself Save the Storks. These guys and girls, are Christians who offer free sonograms to mothers considering abortion. (It’s well worth having a look at the link). However it would require some contextualisation, to be successful in Australia.
Offering parenting courses, where advice and support are supplied to new parents is another form of positive engagement. The success of Hobart Mums Network shows that there is a huge need for mothers to be supported and encouraged in our communities. It often troubles me that more Christians don’t get involved in the network, as a way of positively influencing our community and supporting mothers. Other questions to consider might include... How does a Christian world view inform parents? How has following Jesus, changed Christian parents for the better.
I would argue that once these positive links and relationships were established, people would be able to evaluate the claims of Jesus more accurately. They would see that Christians aren’t just opposed to a set number of issues, but are also for a whole bunch of things too. They would see Christians have a positive message not just a negative one. They would see Jesus had a positive message not just a negative one. Not one at the expense of the other, both-and. In this relational context, people would see how Jesus underpins and shapes the life of the Christian. They would see how Jesus love motivates and drives Christians to be kind, loving people.
When Christians lobby an exclusively negative message, it shouldn’t be a surprise when people don’t listen. However it should be deeply troubling, when people are turned away not because of Jesus claims, but because of negative religious morality.
tags christian, ministry tips, thinking
The problem with Christianity is...
05 April 2009
...you guys dress badly.*The guys and girls from UFC are asking this question for their mission at the University. And people have responded. You can read the full number of responses here. (the formatting is pretty hideous but it's a good read).
I especially recommend the responses to anyone who works in christian ministry. Asking the world questions about how Christians are perceived is always a great way to engage with people evangelistically.
*I've been saying this for a while now.
tags christian, ministry tips, thinking
I heart twitter
17 March 2009
I'm loving twitter at the moment. I had this piece of ministry advice come through this morning from Mark Driscoll on twitter.Spend money on those things that grow the ministry and not simply on those things that make it easier.
It's good advice for Dan and Crossroads. Read more here.
tags christian, linkage, ministry tips
Mr Meaty #2
26 January 2009
Stuart Scott writes
Though culture is pushing for unisex everything, men and women need be careful that they are distinguishably different from the opposite sex in appearance, mannerisms, and cultural concepts of appropriate gender behavior. Some men might need help to recognize and change effeminate habits, which they have inadvertently developed.Douglas Wilson writes:
All men should fervently seek to pursue a true and life-changing understanding of the basic characteristics of man and Christ, take to heart specific biblical charges to men, and look for opportunities to lead, love, protect, and provide. Then, he will be a real man.
We have lost an understanding of imitative masculinity. Because of this, our boys veer into one of two ditches. Either they embrace humility without boldness which in boys is effeminate, or they embrace boldness without humility which is destructive.John Benton writes:
There is need for repentance. Perhaps single men have used the strength they have to serve themselves rather than other people. Perhaps husbands have used their strength to dominate their wives and children. We need to learn to come back to God, back to his Word of Scripture, and learn again to walk with him. To be a loving sacrificial servant of others, as Jesus Christ was, is not to be namby-pamby. It is to be a true man.John Piper writes,
At the heart of mature masculinity is a sense of benevolent responsibility to lead, provide for and protect women in ways appropriate to a mans differing relationships.
tags christian, linkage, ministry tips, thinking
How to read more when you aren’t good at reading.
08 January 2009
If you aced English in year 12 this isn’t for you. If you romped through university and read more books than George Bush last year this also isn’t for you. This is for you, if you struggle to read books.
Back in primary school I used to read a lot. I didn’t get massively into classics but I read a good deal of novel trashy stuff. Then puberty happened and I started reading Asterix and Obelix, Tintin and assorted magazines much to my parents despair. Soon I began to struggle to read whole books. During my time at University I had barely read a whole book (I read the main parts) and battled get the minimum reading done for my subjects. It’s been like this ever since.
(Books beside my bed I'm reading... or trying to)- Reading with someone else. Heavy theology and brain stretching stuff is best read with someone who can help you understand the terms, what is actually being said and can prod you when you nod off. Mikey and I read some of The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology And Worship by Robert Letham. It was powerfully awesome.
- Finding an author. I read books by Keller, Driscoll, Miller, Dickson, Jensen and Clarkson. They write clearly and can easily be understood. I finished most of these books because they were interesting and well written. I searched out other books they'd written and bought them and read them too. I recommend these authors if you aren't a good reader.
- Reading books for a purpose. I find that I’m better at reading a boring book if it’s for a particular purpose eg there's a book that addresses a particular heresy I'm interested in. I think sometimes people read “classics” not because they want to, but rather they want notches on their theological reading belt. Sometimes reading classics can just leave you bogged down and feeling depressed. Just a hunch.
- Not feeling guilty if you can’t remember what you read. I used to smash myself up and try make my self take notes when I read Carson. It made reading a horrifically painful experience. I think talking to someone about what you’ve read is just as effective and less painful.
- Not feeling guilty if you don’t finish reading a book. If you get the gist it’s totally ok to put the book back on the shelf. (Repeat that sentence as you do it).
- Reading Multiple books at once. This was a revelation. I have about 10 books on the go at the moment. I pick up whichever one I feel like reading at the time. I have a book for every mood.
- Reading on the toilet*. I’ve never been able to read the Bible on the toilet (it just didn’t feel right) but The Briefing and Wheels make for excellent trashy toilet reading (I enjoy both). More reading will help you get better at reading and make going to the toilet a more pleasant experience.
(Toilet reading; Wheels, Pulse and The Briefing)tags christian, linkage, ministry tips, thinking
5 values for new Crossroads secretaries
27 December 2008
- People over work. The Secretary should be free to tools down and hang out and chat with whoever drops by. Go and grab a coffee anytime.
- Efficiency and accuracy. This involves trying to get things done with maximum accuracy in all things (weekly email, spelling, Church rolls etc).
- Serving others. This includes serving the church members and staff (eg. Dan). The secretary should try and help out with the administrative burden where possible. Serving others also includes being hospitable.
- Technological proficiency. This is probably the most important. Mastery of the various programs we use in the office is essential to be a proficient secretary.
- The Boss. The secretary is the boss of the office. They have the right to boss people around even Mikey and Dan. Get angry and be bossy. People need to be a little bit scared of you not the other way round.
tags christian, ministry tips, shameless self promotion
Vision and 5 values for the Crossroads Office
26 December 2008
Vision: Luke H is impressed. Luke is our standard. When he wants to hang in the Crossroads office we have achieved our goal. We are still a long way off this.
- Neat and tidy. I managed this pretty consistently all year. I bought a vacuum cleaner and emptied the bins weekly. I cleaned and dusted.
- No accumulated rubbish and crap - For some reason the Crossroads office ended up as a dumping ground for crap. I took a whole trailer load of it to the tip late in the year. Churches and offices have to get better at throwing out donated crap.
- Thankful - We don’t pay rent and our landlords are awesome if a little Christian crazy.
- Hospitality - I didn’t quite nail this one this year but simple things such as making sure the tea and coffee are well stocked up and fresh. Maybe some icy cold cans.
- Not Belkirk - We want our office to be progressive with money allocated each year for small improvements. Maybe a nicely painted feature wall and no junk see point two.
tags christian, friends, linkage, ministry tips
Tim Keller says there is more than one gospel
22 December 2008
"Like God, the gospel is both one and more than that."And I agree (click here).
tags christian, linkage, ministry tips, thinking
Empowering leadership...
08 December 2008
"They made the workforce integral to improving the system. Workers were not mere labor inputs... it required a buy in from the shop floor so that everyone was dedicated to improvement... [Toyota] relies on contributions from employees . It feels vulnerable but your willingness to be open to vulnerability is what helps you make it work."Pastors/General Motors take note. An ability to empower people on the production line is part of the reason for automotive/ministry success. You can read more about empowering leadership here*.
*Cheers Mikey for link
tags cars, christian, ministry tips, thinking
Learning to love your inbox
11 November 2008
The average person my age has more technology at their disposal than a CEO of just a few years ago. You’d think that as part of this technology cloud we’d become more effective at communication and organisation.
I believe it’s actually the opposite. The sheer volume of information that get’s thrown at today’s people is huge. Email, msn, skype, gmail, gmail chat, yahoo chat, blogging, rss, twitter that’s even before I get to facebook… I could go on. This wealth of information has a number of implications;
- Learning to love Information. We must love information and increase of capacity for handling it. We must work hard at filtering and capturing information. We must build become effective at categorization and systems that allow us to quickly and efficiently handle electronic communication.
- Organisation. In order to navigate this tricky world order it’s essential to be organised. Many people forget appointments because they fail to write them down or keep an up to date diary.
- Harnessing technology to be organised. The chances are that you have more technology at your fingertips than you know what to do with. It’s essential that you learn how to use it and find a system of organisation that works for you. If you think an iphone will make you organised then bully for you buy it. If you like a paper diary go for it. My point is something is better than nothing. Technology is your servant not your master.
- Communication. Multi layered approach to relationships is essential. We can no longer think of relationships as being primarily in person or primarily electronic. Communication takes place many levels we must embrace communication with people using diverse means at our fingertips to prevent misunderstandings. We must also learn the rules of various forms or communication (see my posts on email etiquette).
tags christian, ministry, ministry tips, thinking
The cleanest shower in Jane...
21 October 2008
This is what you'll need.
Sponge I buy thick cheap ones like Homebrand or similar. They seem to last about the same amount of time as the expensive ones and if they start to smell just chuck em out.
A good quality cream cleaner. Bathroom cleaning often goes wrong here because people skimp on a quality cleaner eg. Chickenfeed It's WRONG people... You'll use five times more of it and still get a poorer result. I love Jif it's strong but without harsh scratching. It's more expensive but you use a lot less for top notch finish. I use it on the base of my shower about once every few weeks or when it starts to look grimy.
Glass screens are tricky beasts to clean and fraught with danger for new players to the cleaning game. Using a harsh cleaner eg Jif will scratch and damage the glass (I know from sharehouse experience). I really like Shower Power. It has a strong odour which puts some off however it works better than anything else I've tried. I usually spray it on, leave for a minute or two, wipe off with a sponge, then rinse. Almost perfect, it just needs the secret weapon...
The Secret weapon. I should really be making you pay for this tip but my squeegee above is the most integral part of keeping the shower screen clean. A good squeegee isn't cheap but will pay for it's self in the long run. A real deal industrial strength window cleaning squeegee like mine will set you back about $60, but it's worth it. You can use it to clean large mirrors, windows and glass. I probably squeegee down the shower screen every second time I use the shower. Now that may sound like too much for you but if you're diligent the most often you'll need to use Shower Power is once a month.
Finally this doesn't have anything to do with keeping your shower clean. Limiting your showers to four minutes is great for saving water and your children's children will thankyou for saving the planet. Christine got this cool frog timer for seven dollars.
So there you have it the cleanest shower in Jane (click for full glory)... and I didn't even clean it before I took the photo.
tags ministry tips, pictures, review, shameless self promotion
How do you live in a world of suffering?
19 October 2008
It's a very good question. Dan gives a very good sermon in response. It's one of his best to date. start listening here or right click to download.
tags christian, friends, linkage, ministry tips, pictures, thinking
The Application Letter
14 October 2008
Here's a pretty good one I wrote about a year ago (with apologies for length). I've fiddled some of the names and titles so Google doesn't come back to bite me.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing to you to apply for this position of Resident Fellow at JFH.
I’ve been keen to work as a Resident Fellow at JFH for some time now. While I haven’t attended the college I’ve had a fair bit to do with previous Resident Fellows and a batch of the current students. I’ve always found the prospect of working with students in a capacity of leadership something attractive.
I believe that the skills knowledge and passion that I would bring to the job would be of great benefit.
I have had a great deal of experience in working with young people. This includes teaching students many of whom had challenging behaviour, in a school capacity. More recently I’ve been helping to lead the campus student group FOCUS. As part of this I’ve been running a weekly bible study up at JFH with Resident Fellow Benny W.
Furthermore I’ve been involved in leading annual summer camps in Northern New South Wales for the last 6 years. This has included working with indigenous people of all ages and has exposed me to many social problems behavioural difficulties.
As a Christian I also believe that I’m able to deal sensitively with students needs and problems. This comes from the motivation that my creator loves all students, regardless of age and creed. Naturally part of my job is to love them as he does. Having said that I haven’t forgotten what it’s like to be a student, have exams and go out and party.
I also believe that the life experience that I bring will be of benefit to the students who would be under my care. I have a wealth of experience in the retail and trade sector, working successfully with Chickenfeed Bargain Stores over a number of years, before moving to a permanent Part Time job as Window Cleaner. My work experience has taught me important rules such as hard work and honesty. I enjoy relating to people and have an enthusiastic and outgoing personality.
In terms of academic leadership I spent 6 years studying at the University of Tasmania achieving a Bachelor of Arts degree and Bachelor of Teaching. During my time at University I maintained a credit average in all my subjects failing none of them. In my first degree I majored in Journalism and English. This degree led me to spending a little time working as journalist with the ABC and WIN television.
I achieved my second degree overcoming very difficult personal circumstances to not only pass, but to also maintain credit level marks. I’ve been a registered teacher in the state of Tasmania since I graduated in 2004.
Most recently I’ve been employed working for the student group FOCUS as a ministry Apprentice. This job involves not only preaching and teaching but also working with students in a mentor capacity. This involves teaching encouraging and at times reproving students. I believe this places me well to work with the students at JFH. My current job also involves making sure that I’m setting an example for the students in everything that I do in my public and private life
While compared to some I could be described as a “young man” I have a good deal of life experience, which includes travel in Europe and America. I also recently married and believe that this brings a unique advantage to the Resident Fellow position. My wife, Christine and I are very much partners in all that we do. I am always grateful for her insight and ability to assist me with problems and issues that arise. She has a bachelor’s degree in History Education, as well as Art Education. Following University, she taught for a year before going on to post-graduate studies in history and theology. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Theology and has been a immense help to the women of FOCUS in the form of ministering to their spiritual needs.
In conclusion I have every confidence that I’m the person for the job. Please don’t hesitate to call myself, or any of my referees should you have a question. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours Sincerely, Mike Jolly
tags ministry tips, thinking
Job Interviews
13 October 2008
I helped do 17 job interviews at Jane on the weekend and I really enjoyed myself. It was most interesting sitting on the other side of the job interview desk for a change.
One of the things that stuck out to me was that nearly all the participants turned in generally pretty bad applications and most interviewed poorly*. I thought I’d give a list of hints and tips to help you out especially if you are student to write a good resume and nail that job interview.
The Resume
- Address the selection Criteria. We weren’t harsh on our applicants for not doing this but other people are. If you don’t follow the instructions your application will end up in the bin.
- If it says keep the letter to one page then keep it to one page! If there are six criteria address all of them.
- Also make your resume looks nice. Most of the applications we received were ugly. Underlined headings are bad. It makes it look like your Mum got on Word and typed it for you. And if you don’t know anything about aesthetics then stick to simple Times New Roman with headings in bold.
The Interview
- Confidence with a capital C.
- Ability to sell yourself (passionate about why you want the job).
- Know about the job inside out be prepared to ask the interviewer a question or two. This shows initiative.
- Show initiative even if your ideas are stinkers someone who thinks is better than someone who doesn’t in my opinion.
- Tell people your strengths (again passion).
- Admit faults and be honest.
- Dress up a bit (not essential)
*If you are one of those people I’m happy to help you and give constructive feedback.
tags ministry tips, thinking
Energy in ministry
25 September 2008
I've been thinking of some useful bits of information to pass onto to the next bunch of guys (and girls) that do an MTS apprenticeship (my job). One of them will be how to keep energised for ministry.
For me I love meeting up with young blokes. I find it gives me energy and helps keep me pumped. I think part of the reason that I struggled so much at the beginning of the year was because I wasn't doing much of this. I like listening to guys and their problems. I enjoy learning things from them. I like giving them advice. I like recommending a good book to read. I enjoy speaking in a plain and straight forward manner that you just can't do in a large group context. In humility and love I love sharing the mistakes I've made in the past in the hope they don't make the same stuff ups.
I enjoy seeing the energy renewed in their eyes. I love seeing hearts that want to serve Jesus and his people. I love hearing what they've been thinking about in the Bible. I love seeing them grow and change. And finally I enjoy praying for them as asking that God would continue to work to grow them to be more like Jesus and less like me.
tags christian, ministry, ministry tips
Lessons Learned
14 September 2008
As many of my readers will be aware I'm a bit of a fan of Mark Driscoll. Reading his book Confessions of a Reformission Rev reminded me of when a bunch of us started a new church nearly 10 years ago. We were a bunch of young hot 18 to 20 year old headed punks who only half knew what we were doing.
In those early years we (I) made truckloads of mistakes, however we did learn some important lessons. Mikey has been documenting them and they are well worth a read especially if you're young and thinking of starting a church.
You can read all 5 parts on Mikey's blog here. *edit* fixed link
tags christian, linkage, ministry tips
Successful blogging...
12 September 2008
My mate Jimbo has started a new blog. I thought I'd collect some tips for him on running a good blog.
- Be Part of a Community. You need to take the time to invest in the relationships online. I spent about 4 months reading and commenting on blogs before launched this one. Commenting on well-read blogs will also help tremendously. People are more likely to visit your blog if they see your profile popping up all over the place but don't over do it.
- Be controversial. Even if you have to back away from comments you've made after you've made them people will still come and read.
- Give it a personal edge and touch. Let your personality shine through. I don't ever pretend to be someone I'm not. What you see is what you get. Be authentic not myspace fake.
- Get linkage and promotion. This will eventually happen as you start to fulfill steps 1-3. You can ask popular evangelical blogs for linkage especially if you think that a post is particularly relevant to them. Use things like facebook etc to promote it. When launching a blog you need to have a holistic approach. Be well planned and thought through.
- People will read longer articles but only after you've made yourself more famous or sold them on the idea that your blog is worth reading. Good examples of this include John Piper and Mark Driscoll. If you are new keep em short and sweet.
- People always read shorter articles. We live in a world of short sound bites. People are used to reading short stuff that is to the point. If I post longer stuff people don't read it as much.
- Keep it regular. Whether it's once a day, a week, or a month you must stay regular. Make your commitment to blog before you start and stick to it. 99% of all blogs will fail because they aren't regularly updated and fade into the mist of the internet cloud (Ok I made the figure up but it is the internet people).
- Respond to comments. I'm rubbish at this but it's a good thing to do. It shows you are prepared to listen and modify your stance if necessary.
- Don't bag out bloggers, internet and blogging. This shows a lack of understanding and humility. If you are new to blogging maybe it might help to think of yourself as the equivalent of a pimple faced boy on his first day of high school. You are out to make friends and earn respect.
- Be careful what you say it may come back to bite you. Always think twice before posting. A safe rule of thumb when writing about people is assume they'll be reading what you write.
tags blog, friends, linkage, ministry tips, thinking
Is this the coolest Crossroads flier ever?
Thanks Nick G I reckon it looks awesome. You'll be able to download one soon.
tags christian, friends, ministry, ministry tips
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