churchcommunicationspro.com just posted an article I wrote entitled “Five Benefits of Blogging for Pastors” (read it here).
I am believing more and more in the power of the blog and can only hope that more and more pastors will take advantage of this great tool!
I’ll publish this particular post later on this blog!
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Paul;
I may be the 4000th person to tell you this today but…..
Did you know the church website is down? Northgatefmc.com comes back to a dust and mold removal company. It looks like someone forget to renew the domain name or is it being changed intentionally?
4001 is my favorite #……boy I need a life or at least better jokes
Phill
Hi,
I just came over from Cory’s and just thought I’d encourage you by saying that you’ve a great blog (it is scarily honest).
There’s only one thing that would make it better – lose the Snap plugin, it’s really frustrating. Infact, I’m thinking about starting a campaign against it…lol – Joke!
God bless!
Excellent!! Congrats!!
I find blogging to be an impersonal way to deal with people. There isn’t any risk here or eye contact. This is not the way I prefer to receive communications regarding my church. I still think that it is one of the ways that we are conforming to the world among other things. I get a strong impression that Northgate is being led to be a church for the unsaved. I also have strong views on this. We are inviting a revolving door. Come in, get saved, get out. I was taught for many years that church is for Sinners. We are sinners saved by grace. We are the Church at Northgate Free Methodist Church and we need to remember that it is where we gather to worship our Lord and to praise Him in the company of other people who believe as we do. We are to bring people in and teach them(the building) so that they can bring people in and build those people. I think that the focus is only on the unsaved and therefore the building is suffering. This is what I felt before and discussed with you. I am hoping that your apology has sent a message not only to us that are hurting but to others that we need to build the already established Chrisitians as well as bring in the unsaved. If I am reading some of these blogs correctly it seems that if an established Christian leaves Northgate that is ok because they are established, it is more important for a unsaved or newly saved person to be there. I strongly disagree with that belief. Eventually it will be a one person evangilism team because it will be a church of New Christians. As I said I hope that the apology makes a difference.
Im a person who doesnt always deal well with change and blog’s are a change for me. There is no doubt blogging and instant messages are the new in thing. Its a fast electronic version of writting a letter but to many people at once. I agree it can be impersonal to write any form of letter of apology vs. face to face but blogging is a great tool that can be used for good but will never be as good as face to face. I would much reather see a pastor live and in person in church than on tv or blog.I have an 90+ year old aunt who things this is the greatest thing because she can no longer drive to church.
On the second part of being a church for unsaved, I too have a vision for the unsaved to come to Northgate. Im so spiritually fat its not funny, Im not using 10% of the gifts and talents God has given me and if I dont use them He will find someone else to do it. I personaly feel lead to be at Northgate because I need to be taken out of my comfort zone and start bringing in more unsaved to Christ, and Ive challeged the youth of our church to bring in others. I dont want to see us become a revolving door but I also dont want others including my own kids get in the rut I feel in.
Phil,
I think you hit it on the head! The blog is NOT a replacement for personal interaction, but it does allow for more people to engage and interact than any other tool (e.g. the newsletter, etc.).
Phil, I do not want to see the church become a revolving door, and I will fight that trend! What I want to see is the unsaved come to Christ and grow in that relationship! As that happens they will lead more to Christ and they will grow in that relationship! Just because we’re bringing does not mean that we’re neglecting building! It’s not an either/or proposition! In fact, I believe that is a “both/and” proposition! One of the best ways to grow spiritually is to bring someone to Jesus and then to help them grow in that relationship!
Peace!
Paul
Please don’t misunderstand what I mean. I do believe that we are responsible to bring people to Christ, any place we can including church. Also, updated tools can be utilized in a very beneficial way but shouldn’t be a replacement for tried and true methods. I don’t like that if I want to know what is happening that I need to tune in on my computer. The same information should be available to all who attend. As I have pointed out in my above statement, not everyone has a computer or even wants one. I don’t dislike change although it can be difficult when it is abrupt and at times unneccessary. Perhaps the Church family should have a say in some matters rather than just deal with what ever changes are made. I don’t think we, as the people who attend Northgate, should be excluded in decisions that directly affect/effect our church. Since we obviously all have the same goals in mind, to bring the unsaved to Christ, then there should be more awareness to working towards that goal as a team. We also all agreed that the core values wouldn’t be changed and I am not saying that they have been but I would hope that we allow visitors to see what Christianity is all about not just the Uplifted side to it. Right now I just feel that there is an unbalance and the “building” is suffering otherwise so many people who have been attending this church for a very long time wouldn’t be painfully trying to decide if they should find a different church or not. I am not speaking of any particular person or family but the fact that stable Christians strong in their faith. Yes we are to bring people to Christ yet the strong Christian should still be able to have more than milk when they are fed. I don’t believe that this is sole responsiblity of the ABF’s. We have spent time looking at how many #’s attend church, #’s that attend abf’s etc. How many attend ABF’s only? Then go to another church? Yes this is happening also. A good portion of our Church are not new Christians but stable with their feet planted Christians willing to aid in the bringing. No one should have to attend another church to get that. What I don’t like is that it is ok as long as others keep bringing. Jesus cares for all of his sheep. I just don’t know how else to put this. It really can’t be ignored like everything is ok because everything is not really ok. Unfortunately, it does cause one to start to seek options.