Excellent question. There’s enough going on in our lives; who needs one more thing to drop into their inbox and make them feel guilty if they don’t read it? I understand completely. My own inbox is always way too full and often I wonder who these people are that are invading my private space. I promise you, though, that a church blog is as much as part of ministry in the 21st century as singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, or serving breakfast at Knollwood.
Why? People who might never come in the doorway of the Church of the Atonement MIGHT read the blog, or read a blog you share, or read a blog about a subject they googled. In fact, I want to tell you FIVE important reasons why our church needs a blog, and why I’m thrilled Pastor Amy asked me to direct it.
- KEEP YOUR MEMBERS INFORMED.
We’re slowly returning to life after a two-year pandemic that found most of us attending church–and school and work–on our computers. And many of our shut-ins or people who are not local still attend that way. A church blog will keep them informed of important events, remind them mid-week of the sermon, and serve as another connecting point in a world that often lacks personal connections. - BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY.
Be honest: how many of us leave church thinking, “What a great message!” then get to the middle of the week and can’t quite remember it. This blog is a place to put what we’re learning into action. Hopefully, you’ll want to make comments and discuss what God is doing in your life. - INCREASE TRAFFIC TO THE WEBSITE.
We’ve got a lovely revamped website now (Thanks, Randy!) and we want to show it off to as many people as possible, not just in Claymont but beyond. Having a blog that deals with different topics increases our search rankings AND the possibility that casual viewers will find us. Search engines help people to make decisions about what movie to see, what restaurant to visit, and where to vacation. Why not where to worship? Relevant blog posts can get linked to other posts. My most shared post, entitled “God is good. All the time.” reached 438 people! - RAISE VISIBLITY TO THE COMMUNITY.
Here at Atonement, we’re all about serving the community where we’ve been planted. A blog that features photos and details about events is a personal voucher for our church. And when someone shares a blog, more people are reached. - CHALLENGE THE CONGREGATION.
Pastor Amy asked me to direct this blog, but it’s not MY blog; it’s OUR blog. I hope to have other people share their stories of faith and challenges, their God encounters, and how Jesus changed their lives.
I’m ready to start this new adventure, and I hope you’ll pray for this journey and join me as we live out our faith and WALK WITH JESUS.
