BIG Changes – New Website
The first 6 months of Church Blog Theory have been exciting. I am happy to announce two BIG changes that will hopefully affect the future success of this ministry.
1. Church Blog Theory has received a generous sponsorship from TheoBloggers and has launched a new website – churchblogtheory.org
2. CBT has begun making presentations to Christians/congregations with the goal of increasing awareness of blogging ministry and assisting people with strategies utilizing blogging and social media to share the message of Christ .
We are thankful to everyone who has supported CBT since its launch earlier this year.
If you are subscribed to our blogger or wordpress.com sites, using one of our sidebar badges and/or including us in your blogroll we would like to ask that you please…
- Change your subscription to http://churchblogtheory.org or subscribe HERE in a feed reader
- Update our address in your blogroll to http://churchblogtheory.org
- Change your badge to the NEW badge
We would love for you to stop by the new site and check out the introduction and theory segments. They have been revised and reflect our aim to engage the internet for the glory of God!
Blessings in your blogging!
Obligated to Him,
Ryan Parsons
Feed Readers – Interacting with your Audience
Interacting with your audience is vital to gaining readers to your blog and identifying those who may be interested in studying the message of Jesus. Additionally, it helps you understand who you are trying to connect with and therefore allows you to tailor your message in the future to reach them with the Gospel.
The #1 way to do this is to read their blogs and comment on posts. However, it becomes a daunting task to visit each of their blogs and read through their posts. It there an easier way? Yes!
Please watch this short video to learn how to utilize a feed reader and begin interacting with your audience.
Link to the Bible
BibleGateway.com is a powerful online tool. Google the term “bible” and you will find that Bible Gateway is #1. This free online service provides 20 english translations of the biblical text and a great place to link your readers to God’s truth.
How?
- Go to biblegateway.com
- Type your passage and select your translation OR search for the keyword you are looking for
- Once you locate your passage in the translation you desire – copy the URL at the top of the screen
- Hyperlink your blog text to lead your readers to examine the text for themselves.
Here are few examples
Jesus sent his disciples to share the message of salvation in the Great Commission.
Jesus’ intructions for the gospel message…
Be creative in order to engage your audience and to encourage them to read the truth themselves. Readers are proven to be more apt to click a link than to search for your suggestions. Whenever we have an opportunity, we should link people back to the Bible!
Post Idea – Photos
Everywhere we go we are surrounded by images. If they haven’t been captured yet it won’t be long before they are.
- When we drive down the highway we see billboards.
- When we go to a restaurant there is a tv streaming image after image.
- When we turn on the computer they jump out at us.
- Your walls are covered with them.
- They are in your wallet, on your phone, in your ipod or stuck to your refrigerator.
Why do you keep them around and keep looking at them? Because many of them have some sort of meaning.
Now, find a photo/image that inspires you. One that makes you seek God or long for Him. A photo that causes you to want to serve the poor, conquer your fears or fight injustice. Maybe that image reminds you of all you have been blessed with? Take that photo in digital form, post it to your blog and tell the story behind it. Inspire people and show them the places you see God every day!
The Redemptive Analogy – Introduction
A few years ago, by the recommendation of a co-worker, I purchased a book. Unfortunately, it sa
t dormant on my shelf until a few months ago. After I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down.
Don Richardson in his autobiographical work, Peace Child, describes the cross-cultural mission work he did among the Sawi people of Netherlands New Guinea beginning in 1962. It is a fascinating story of hope, courage and perseverance. Richardson spent countless hours learning the language a
nd studying the culture. He encountered many hardships and obstacles in trying to teach the word of God. Then, in a moment, he witnessed the connection that would allow him to help the Sawi connect with the Gospel. The Peace Child!
Part of Richardson’s success involved his desire to find that connection or what he calls the “redemptive analogy” that would help the message of Jesus make sense to the Sawi. I believe that we have to be looking to find that same analogy in order to help the 21st century person understand and connect with Jesus. The reality is, for whatever reason, people don’t get the message of Jesus. Our job is to help them see and understand Him.
Stay tuned as we discuss how to seek the redemptive analogy.
Richardson, Don. Peace Child. Ventura: Regal Books, 2005.
Monitoring Your Blog Traffic – Stat Counter
StatCounter.com is an easy service to use for monitoring traffic on your blog.
Go to StatCounter.com’s homepage
Click REGISTER NOW!
Fill in the correct information.
Select your timezone and Click PROCEED & ADD A PROJECT.
Fill in the correct information.
Do NOT click Public Stats.
Select Culture & Religion
Continue to CONFIGURE & INSTALL CODE.
Select INVISIBLE COUNTER
Select your blogging platform.
StatCounter will give specific instructions for embedding the code on your blog.
After your code is installed, click on the EMAIL icon.
Fill in the appropriate information and choose how often you would like a report emailed to you. Click Add Email Report and you are all done!
Church Blog Theory Seminar
Everyone is Invited to:
Church Blog Theory Seminar
Please join us for a free seminar discussing how to use faith based blogging, integrated with other social media, as a strategy to deploy the truth online and develop relationships aimed at sharing Jesus with our community.
Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Location: Harding University, McInteer Room 349 (Google Map)
Time: 9am-12noon
Speaker: Ryan Parsons
Program:
- 9-9:50 “A Case for Blogging”
- 10-10:50 “Blogging and Evangelism”
- 11-12 “Getting Started” Optional (bring your laptop)
Please help us promote this event. Add this announcement to your blog, email to your friends, announce in your church bulletin -AND/OR-
Download a .pdf Flyer
Blog/Email – 240 Words
Engaging the Internet for the Glory of God
How do we share the message of Christ in the 21st century?
Can we use digital technology to reach millions? Could social media develop relationships that result in sharing our faith with our community?
Why aren’t we as the church doing more to engage the world via the internet? Have we hidden our light under a basket? (Ref. Matt. 5:15 NASB) It is time for the church to be the “city on the hill.” Inaction is not an option.
How do we easily, quickly and effectively have a positive influence on the internet and our community for the glory of God?
Faith Based Blogging
- It is the place where millions of seekers “walk” each day.
- It builds relationships and opens doors for personal evangelism.
- It covers the globe in seconds.
- It is free and easy
- It integrates easily with other mediums of communication.
Church Blog Theory Seminar
Please join us for a free seminar discussing how to use faith based blogging, integrated with other social media, as a strategy to deploy the truth online and develop relationships aimed at sharing Jesus with our community.
Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Location: Harding University, McInteer Room 349
Time: 9am-12noon
Speaker: Ryan Parsons
Program:
- 9-9:50 “A Case for Blogging”
- 10-10:50 “Blogging and Evangelism”
- 11-12 “Getting Started” Optional (bring your laptop)
http://churchblogtheory.wordpress.com
Church Bulletin – 90 Words
How do we share the message of Christ in the 21st century?
Please join us for a free seminar discussing how to use faith based blogging, integrated with other social media, as a strategy to deploy the truth online and develop relationships aimed at sharing Jesus with our community.
Date: Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Location: Harding University, McInteer Room 349
Time: 9am-12noon
Speaker: Ryan Parsons
Program:
- 9-9:50 “A Case for Blogging”
- 10-10:50 “Blogging and Evangelism”
- 11-12 “Getting Started” Optional (bring your laptop)
http://churchblogtheory.wordpress.com
Monitoring Your Blog Traffic
Monitoring your blog traffic can be both a blessing and a curse. Before you begin, it is important to decide how you will handle this aspect of blogging. It is completely OK to skip this part if you feel that it may hinder your ministry.
Blessings
- Provides useful information about your readers
- General Location (city, state, country)
- How they found you (referrals from other blogs/websites)
- How long they spent on your blog
- How many times they have visited
Curses
- Statistics can become:
- Addicting
- Discouraging
- Statistics can cause:
- Pride and incorrect motives for blogging
Recommendations
- Set up an account with StatCounter.com
- Set up weekly email delivery of basic statistics
- Visit the site only once a month to look at detailed information
- Delete your StatCounter.com account immediately if you become prideful about your success, get addicted to checking the results or get discouraged and consider deleting your blog.
Conclusion
Statistics can be a useful tool in helping you evaluate your blogging but you should constantly evalute your actions and motives to ensure your blogging outreach is focused on bringing glory to God.
Internet Evangelism Month
Church Blog Theory announces the month of April as Internet Evangelism Month.
Our Purpose: To promote all forms of internet outreach but especially faith-based blogging as a strategy to improve the church’s presence online and to promote individual personal evangelism.
Our Goals:
- Increase awareness of internet based evangelism
- Invite and assist 30 new Christian bloggers to begin a blog with evangelistic focus.
- Conduct our 1st CBT class.
Get involved: Promote CBT and Internet Evangelism Month.
Add a CBT badge to your existing blog
Register a new blog with us as a part of Internet Evangelism Month
For more information or resources related to digital outreach see: Internet Evangelism Day
Post Idea – Movies
Most people watch several movies a year. If you write a post about a recent movie, chances are, you will be able to relate with the majority of the U.S. population.
Post Idea:
In a recent movie have you…
seen God?
seen someone’s search for God?
seen a struggle you accomplished with God’s help?
seen anything related to your walk with Christ?
Write your review and reflections in a post including scripture references. It would also be beneficial to put a picture of the movie poster at the top. Don’t forget to tag your post and include the title of the movie there.
I would encourage and challenge you to include movie reviews and reflections for each movie you watch from now on. If you really want to connect with today’s culture, movies are a great start.
Blessings in your blogging!