The Blogging Church

The Blogging Church offers church leaders a field manual for using the social phenomenon of blogs to connect people and build communities in a whole new way. Inside you will find the why, what, and how of blogging in the local church. Filled with illustrative examples and practical advice, the authors answer key questions learned on the frontlines of ministry: Is blogging a tool or a toy? What problems will blogging solve? How does it benefit ministry? How do I build a great blog? and Who am I blogging for? The Blogging Church is a handbook that will inspire and equip you to join the conversation. The book includes contributions from five of the most popular bloggers in the world—Robert Scoble, Dave Winer, Kathy Sierra, Guy Kawasaki, and Merlin Mann, as well as interviews with blogging pastors such as Mark Driscoll, Craig Groeschel, Tony Morgan, Perry Noble, Greg Surratt, Mark Batterson, and many more.

In today's fast-food world, Christianity can seem outdated or archaic. The temptation becomes to pick up the pace and play the game. But Chris Smith and John Pattison invites us to leave franchise faith behind and enter the kingdom of God, where people know each other well and love one another as Christ loves the church.

We'er experiencing the biggest communication shift since the printing press. Millions have adopted Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and Twitter. What does this mean for the Church? How can Christians harness these new tools to reach out, teach, cultivate community, and change the world? Following Pope Benedict's call to evangelize the "digital continent", The Church and New Media explores the power and risks of New Media, while guiding Christians through this new environment. Book jacket.

A Pew Study reports that only 2% of America's twelve million bloggers claim "religion, spirituality or faith" as their main topic. This leaves a great mission field in cyberspace, say contributors to The New Media Frontier, because the latest forms of communication present so many opportunities to promote the cause of Christ in other topics and fields. Before blindly jumping in, however, Christians need to weigh the possibilities against the consequences, and then proceed with the practical discernment and grace this book provides. With a foreword by national radio host Hugh Hewitt-who has been at the forefront of the new media movement among Christians-editors Roger Overton and John Mark Reynolds (along with an impressive list of other new media experts) survey the current landscape and explore specific areas in which God's people can creatively expand their reach to a lost world. By stressing the urgency for Christian involvement, unearthing the dangers, and advising readers on how to use this media with different audiences, this book equips believers to advance, demonstrate, and utilize the Christian worldview in this exciting realm.

When it comes to authenticity, is being fully yourself always worth the risk? From the author of Blue Like Jazz comes New York Times bestseller Scary Close, Donald Miller's journey of uncovering the keys to a healthy relationship and discovering that they're also at the heart of building a healthy family, a successful career, and a trusted community of friends. After decades of failed relationships and painful drama, Miller decided that he'd had enough. Trying to impress people wasn't helping him truly connect with anyone--and neither was pretending to be someone he wasn't. He'd built himself a life of public isolation, but he dreamed of having a life defined by meaningful relationships instead. At 40-years-old, he made a scary decision: he was going to be his true self no matter what it might cost. Scary Close tells the story of Miller's difficult choice to impress fewer people and connect with even more. It's about the importance of knocking down old walls to finally experience the freedom that comes when we stop playing a part and start being fully ourselves. In Scary Close, Miller shares everything he's learned firsthand about how to: Deconstruct the old habits that no longer serve us Overcome the desire to please the people around us Always tell the truth, even when it's hard Find satisfaction in a daily portion of real love Risk being fully known in order to deeply love and be loved Apply these lessons to your everyday life If you're ready to drop the act and find true, life-changing intimacy, it's time to get Scary Close.

Engaging the digital Revolution We're experiencing the biggest communication shift since the printing press. Millions have adopted Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and Twitter. What does this mean for the Church? How can Christians harness these new tools to reach out, teach, cultivate community, and change the world? Following Pope Benedict's call to evangelize the "digital continent," The Church and New Media explores the power and risks of New Media while guiding Christians through this new environment. Foreword by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap. Afterword by Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan Expert contributors include: Father Robert Barron Lisa Hendey Jennifer Fulwiler Father Dwight Longenecker Thomas Peters Mark Shea Matt Warner "The Church and New Media is the best kind of reading: timely, vivid, and rich in valuable information. For anyone seeking to understand and use today's new techologies in advancing the Catholic Faith, this book is an unsurpassed resource." -- Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archdiocese of Denver

7 Reasons God Hates Listicles See what we did there? We piqued your interest, confused you, and maybe even made you mad. Mad is good; anger provokes a response. Maybe you will tweet your rage. Perhaps you will decry our buffoonery: "The 'seven-reasons-why' structure is a list-article," you'll tell your followers. And just like that, we won the scramble for clicks and attention. But did we steward your attention in a way that honors God? Bloggers publish millions of posts each day, many written by faithful Christians who want to honor God with their words but struggle to know how. Blogging for God's Glory in a Clickbait World guides Christians through the basics of setting up a blog-everything from affiliates and algorithms to widgets and Wordpress-but also how to be a godly landlord of your internet real estate property. If you are a Christian blogger, you likely oscillate between burnout and apathy, with thoughts like "I must post NOW!" and "Who even gives a rip?" If you're at this point, you've likely lost the plot. But you can get back on script. Authors Benjamin Vrbicek and John Beeson explore where the spiritual stamina will come from to serve a small readership faithfully and how to steward attention in a way that honors God in a world that celebrates chasing profit and pageviews. Foreword by Tim Challies, pastor, author, and popular blogger. About the Authors BENJAMIN VRBICEK (MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary) is the lead teaching pastor at Community Evangelical Free Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Benjamin and his wife, Brooke, have six children. He blogs regularly, is the author of Struggle Against Porn and Don't Just Send a Resume, and has written for Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, For The Church, 9Marks, and Christianity Today. JOHN BEESON (MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary) is a copastor at New Life Bible Fellowship in Tucson, Arizona. John and his wife, Angel, have two children. He blogs regularly and has written for The Gospel Coalition and For The Church.

A Pew Study reports that only 2% of America's twelve million bloggers claim "religion, spirituality or faith" as their main topic. This leaves a great mission field in cyberspace, say contributors to The New Media Frontier, because the latest forms of communication present so many opportunities to promote the cause of Christ in other topics and fields. Before blindly jumping in, however, Christians need to weigh the possibilities against the consequences, and then proceed with the practical discernment and grace this book provides. With a foreword by national radio host Hugh Hewitt-who has been at the forefront of the new media movement among Christians-editors Roger Overton and John Mark Reynolds (along with an impressive list of other new media experts) survey the current landscape and explore specific areas in which God's people can creatively expand their reach to a lost world. By stressing the urgency for Christian involvement, unearthing the dangers, and advising readers on how to use this media with different audiences, this book equips believers to advance, demonstrate, and utilize the Christian worldview in this exciting realm.