The New Media Frontier (Foreword by Hugh Hewitt): Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ by John Mark Reynolds

Author:John Mark Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 2016-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

CONGREGATIONAL COMMUNICATION BEYOND PREACHING

For years, one of my greatest frustrations as a pastor was the limited input I had into my parishioners’ lives. I delivered a weekly sermon (heard by about two-thirds of my flock), a midweek Bible study (attended by fewer still), and an occasional newsletter column. Yet there were so many topics I felt the need to address but had no forum in which to do it. How could I help my flock think rightly about The Passion of the Christ or exercise their earthly citizenship in a biblical manner or respond to a friend who had just read the latest Bart Ehrman book attempting to debunk the Bible?

Blogging answered this question in marvelous ways. No longer was I severely limited in time and topic. Through my blog I could address a wide variety of pressing issues and still make sure my sermons focused on the expository preaching of Scripture. When church members asked me questions like, “What should I do with The Da Vinci Code?” I could answer their questions online. Not only did this allow me to formulate thoughtful responses, but also these essays became available to others. Soon the others included not only members of my congregation but also their colleagues at work, family members, and friends in the neighborhood. My pastoral ministry was having a wider impact through my blogging, and I’m not even thinking of blog readers who had no connection with my flock.

Once again, I need to add a word of warning. Pastors must think carefully about what topics are appropriate for their blogs. For example, I chose not to blog on political topics in a partisan way. I have written extensively on biblical perspectives on politics in general, but I have not expressed my personal preferences with respect to specific candidates or issues. I chose this course because my congregation was diverse politically. In fact, in a recent election both the Democratic and the Republican candidate for Congress were church members. If I waxed eloquent about my political views, not only would my congregation have seen just how little I know about politics, but also I would have run the risk of erecting unnecessary barriers between me and those who disagreed with me.

I am not saying that all pastors should follow my lead here. I am saying that we all must think carefully and prayerfully about the topics we address and their impact on our primary ministries. We can generate lots of blog traffic by taking controversial stands on political issues, yet thereby damage tender pastoral relationships. Moreover, I’m not sure the blogosphere needs more ignorance writ large. We pastors would do better to blog on that in which we have some measure of genuine competence.

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