Blogging – Round Two (Article)

The following is the latest quarterly article I submitted to the Oregon Ministry Network for their statewide newsletter.

Blogging – Round 2

I’m going to revisit a topic I covered in a past issue but I want to take this discussion to the next level as an attempt to either spur you into real action or take your online efforts to a new level.

Before I go further, let me just recap the Six (6) Keys to Blogging that I emphasized in my past article:

1. Get a good blog system that you are comfortable with (comfortability and usability is KEY)
2. Write out the great WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, WHY questions and answer them in detail (have a good game plan before starting).
3. Pre-determine your blogging frequency and stick to it.
4. Promote your blog! (bulletins, church website, etc.)
5. Establish guidelines for blogs that are considered PART or INTEGRAL to your church and/or ministry (determine what IS and IS NOT appropriate to include in blog entries).
6. Be informed and positive (keep the content useful to others and not just an online journal that benefits no-one).

So now that we’ve reestablished the basic rules of blogging, let’s do a quick case study.

MISSIONS BLOGGING
Here is a real-life example of a recent missions effort I implemented for my church (Portland Christian Center). This wasn’t the first time I’ve created a blog for a missions trip but this one has been the most used available resource to-date.

Here’s the scenario.

We had a missions team going to Panama to help build a new building for a Christian school. While the team is sweat-drenched in the heat of South America, friends and family back home would like to see what’s happening so we can follow their efforts and note things to pray for while they’re there.

Here was the solution.

I created a blog which allows non-technical end users create and manage web content using the Wordpress framework and set-up an administrative user account for Bob who was taking his laptop with him. In truth, all you need is an internet access location, often found at internet cafes which most would be surprised to know can be found pretty much everywhere around the globe. I gave Bob a quick tutorial on how to add entries and post blogs but he was savvy enough to figure it out in no time. I next added a graphic/link to the church website and with some Sunday morning promotion in the bulletin and on the big screen, and “voilà!” – the location was promoted and people visited.

Whenever Bob was able to get a few moments to dry off and hop online, he was able to post pictures and offer a day-by-by synopsis of what was happening. People back home could see, read and even send comments which were usually words of encouragement from home.

While it’s great to hear from a spokesman on a Sunday morning upon their return, it is far more personal to visit an online account WHILE things are happening that allows for some INTERACTION.

You can visit the blog at www.panama.pcctoday.com

So, the next time you send off a missions team to another part of the world, consider this as a wonderful opportunity to allow those “staying behind” to still feel like they are a part of something so much bigger. I’ve used this method for everything from foreign mission trips to state-side youth choir tours (parents love seeing their kids safe, sound and having fun).

TAKING NOTES WHILE ONLINE – Another Google Tool Highlight

One thing that used to frustrate me when doing online research was all the effort necessary to take “someday/maybe” notes referencing me back to sites or information I found and would like to follow-up on in the future. Simply “bookmarking” sites wasn’t cutting it. In the past, such things would either be hand-written in my notebook or typed into my computer journal with a link that I had to copy and paste.

Now there’s a often-overlooked tool from Google that makes this a problem of the past. Once you have a Google account (if you don’t have one yet – GET one at www.google.com), look in your Account section and in the list of various tools is this great utility called Notebook. This tool which can be integrated into your browser is an easy way to take quick little notes. This works well for those who just need to note a website (clip) and a sentence or two explanation as to why you saved the link in the first place and what you intend to do with it. Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll find a variety of uses for this little tool.

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Blog Bookmarking Made Easy

Finally!  A tool that’s easy to set-up and works as advertised.  One of the battles I’ve dabbled in the past was finding an easy way to include Digg and Del.icio.us tags to the end of my blogs.  Well, I just came across a tool that does that and then some.

AddThis.com offers widgets/codes for different blogging platforms so it’s an absolute no-brainer.  As a Wordpress user, I had this plugin up and running in less than 5 minutes.

For those of you wondering what use this has – basically, these are some of the tried-and-true methods to get your content seen by more people than would otherwise come across what you may have to offer.

[ AddThis.com ]

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Podcasting Keeps Up the Momentum

As more and more people become acquainted with the wonderful world of “podcasting” – audio and video – the number of active podcast consumers keep climbing.  With so many tools available that make subscribing to podcasts relatively easy, this mode of communication will continue to make strides forward.  As an avid podcast / vlog user, I digest a substantial amount of information on a daily basis.

I came across the following article [ click the title below to read ] that highlights this exploding trend.

Podcast Downloads Set New Record
By Jason Lee Miller

[ Read the article on www.webpronews.com ]

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