Carpe’ Digital

Here is a terrific article on the importance of why a Pastor should blog. Full Article

If you need to get started with a blog here is a link to some great info from Wordpress on how to use their tools. Get Started at Wordpress.

Churches who have begun to put an emphasis on delivering media via their website are starting to reach folks that they might never have connected with using a more traditional style of ministry. Podcasting opens a door for those who are too shy or too nervous to come to your church and check out what you’re all about. It is a great way to expand and enhance a sense of community by bringing “church” into people’s everyday lives. It enables people to take your messages with them on the road, which can encourage them throughout the week, not just on Sundays. It gives people a place to check out topics of faith on a deeper and more personal level vs. the threatening, “You should come to church with me.” It is a great topic-starter at work and an excellent place to send seekers after having a conversation about particular topics.

Today, the Internet offers us the ability to check out stuff without making any commitments. This is a great thing for churches because people can visit your church website, read about your ministries, and generally check out your church while staying anonymous. Podcasting takes the delivery of your information to the next step by making it more personal and letting people virtually peek in on one of your services, listen to a message, and check out what God is doing within your ministry. It is a wonderful tool for spreading the gospel and sharing the message of hope through Jesus Christ to both your church community and to people you might never meet.

Most church websites primarily use words to tell their story. But in today’s culture, people would rather learn about a church through videos, audio clips, and photo galleries. Adding these elements appropriately to a church site can make it more appealing and effective, especially to younger generations. Using strong photography to show the character of your congregation and your minisrties is another very important element in keeping your website relevant.

Churches change all the time. They grow, they add new ministries and missions, they have new stories to tell. Rather than seeing a website as something that, once built, is “finished”,  a church must view their website as an ever-changing tool for communicating, inviting, and even inspiring those who visit.