Hi and welcome to OurChurch.Com’s new “Christian Web Trends” blog. What’s a “blog” you may wonder? I’ll get to that in a minute. We’ll be using this format to talk about news and trends in communications technology and how that impacts Christian individuals and organizations. Our goal is to help Christian individuals and organizations make better use of communications technology in their churches, schools, ministries, businesses, and personal lives.
Being a website design, hosting, and marketing company, our staff gets pretty amped up about cutting-edge Internet and tech stuff as it is. We’re constantly reading news, articles, and other blogs to stay ahead of the curve in creating and improving web services. So, blogging on the subject is just a natural next step, and one we’re really excited about.
What is a blog?
If you’re a blog veteran you may think answering that question is silly, but a Pew Research study from last year showed that 63% of Internet users don’t know what a blog is. There are bound to be people for whom this is the first blog they’ve ever read. That’s cool. I’m glad to be the one to introduce you.
A blog, or web log, is simply an online journal. Generally, one or more bloggers will post articles to the blog, and then readers have the opportunity to post comments. Blogs can focus on a particular subject, or be about whatever interests the blogger. Some blogs are read by millions of people, others are just read by a few friends and family members.
Why blog?
About a quarter of Internet users read blogs on a regular basis right now, and that number is growing exponentially. Blogs are quickly becoming a regular source of information for many people.
Part of their appeal is the truly democratic nature of blogs. There are no editors. There is no censorship. It used to be that if the TV networks and your local paper decided not to report a story, you probably wouldn’t ever hear about it. Now, news often breaks through the blogosphere (the collective term used to describe all blogs) even before the cable news channels. News, analysis, and perspectives that were not considered important enough to see the light of day in the old media, are published in blogs.
Blogs are democratic in their readership as well. If a blog is boring, full of errors, or simply regurgitates information people can get from other, better sources, it will have little readership and little impact. But if you write an interesting, insightful blog with a unique perspective, word will spread and you could have thousands of people reading your posts.
Christian Web Trends Blog
So what qualifies us to start a “Christian Web Trends Blog?” Well, the good thing is you don’t have to be qualified to start a blog. 😉 Seriously though, I genuinely believe God has blessed the staff at OCC with a unique perspective in the area of Christian communication that ought to be shared. I think the breadth of services and experience we have will translate into a broad array of topics. I’m hoping that the one-on-one contact we have with thousands of Christian webmasters who are also pastors, teachers, entrepreneurs, missionaries, and musicians will give our writing a personal feel. I think our staff’s own service as elders, Christian school board members, worship leaders, small group leaders, and Sunday school teachers will translate into practical advice you can use.
Right now our plan is to post a new article each week, but we may tweak the schedule as we go. We’ll also comment on news and other articles we read. Speaking of which…
If you have a website, magazine, or blog that’s related to Christians’ use of communication technology, please post a comment with a link to it. If you’d like to suggest a topic for a future article, you can post that too. And of course, we’d love to read your general comments and feedback.
Be sure to subscribe to receive updates. Subscribe form in in the right sidebar (desktop) or below (mobile).
In His Service,
Paul Steinbrueck
OurChurch.Com
25 Comments
Here in Africa (Kenya) we thank God for any new tool that comes our way as a free openning to express our views, opinions and testimony. Every time one tries to register a publication or book, authorities assume one can only be up to some paparazzi tabloid scoop.
Communication tools and legal hiccups abound. What memoirs or newsletters one would like to publish can now be sourced through christian friendly options like bloggs proposed herein.
I beg though that the team offers BASIC communication theory as pertains to a Christian’s pace in writing secular or popular works through whatever media BEFORE HOMING IN ON USE OF MEDIA AND ONLINE COMM.
Lets blogg…and God bless.
This may be just the thing most of us are looking for… am glad to be a part of the great occ.com community… we have a great site, ( END TIME) we also have something to offer the christian viewer. it is FREE satellite systems. come and see for your self.
our home site is located at
will be viewing this blog often
Communications are our salvation! When we let NOT sin, separate us from the
council of the LORD, we can and do recieve revelation, moment by moment,
day by day!
I urge you brothers/sisters to dilligently go over these 180 or so sermons
with the anointing of Christs spirit, and see and judge for yourselves, to confirm
and affirm to each other that the Spirit Of Truth has “rightly divided the word
of truth here”. Only this I ask first, consider the fact that I have prayed for
each and EVERY one of you to be forgiven of sin, and recieve this by believing it
and give Christ Jesus thanks, for I would or could not have written a single word of it without Him. You will find NO OPINIONS, simply the meanings of
the lines and the precepts as according to His word. Are you ready NOW, to
rein with Him, and live the abundant life Christ spoke of? If so, go to:
[edit 3/21/24 site no longer active]
p.s. even if you are right this moment, His king or His priest, this you will enjoy!
for some things contained therein was in Gods word all along, but it was not the appointed time to reveal these things meanings UNTIL NOW, for the
“indignation” prophecy hath been fulfilled! In Christ, ManofGod777
[link removed by admin] get christian tv from IA5 Satellite-disconnect the cable for ever…. Christian people need this it is refreshing to know you do not have to watch the filth on tv anymore.!
Bill, let’s try to at least pretend to stay on the topic of blogs.
I have a blogger already and find it a good way to communicate with my internet friends. Thank you for making this site possible to advertise my website. Am I understanding that OCC may have blogger hosting available.
Have you considered the power of producing and distributing DVD’s as a development of the Audio Tape ministry that has proved so successful in past years? I have a set of DVD’s that is actually a workshop on “how to” go about it from start to finish. check out my website
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=343792
for full details. Remember that this is a commercial advert as anyone can apply the information to their own interests but I think it would be very useful for churches and organisations too.
This is a great idea – I belong to a church with an ageing congregation and we are looking for guidance, in whatever form it comes, to help us in our minstry to the younger age groups. We see computer based technologies as a key part of this and so this blog will be really useful if it can help point us in new directions for resources etc. So thanks for havinh eth foresight to set up this facility.
One small criticism though – it would be really useful if people posted on here in plain simple English in stead of trying to make their blog entries full of super-spiritual catch-phrases. THere is one post further up along this page that I had to read about three tiems before I had any idea what was being said.
Does anyone else here do home music and home recordings? I have a digital home studio (steinburg) where I produce music, teaching and preaching CDs, and even drama on CD. You can hear some of my work on http://www.soundclick.com/randyfoncree.
I would like to find people who are interested in doing demo CDs, and producing them, and helping them get them on the web. Does anyone do this, and have any suggestions as to how I might get this off the ground? This post is not a advertisement for services, because I want to begin locally (East Tennessee). This is a sincere question. I just obtained a professional studio mic. Praise the Lord for what He is doing through the ministry He has entrusted my wife and me with.
Randy Foncree
“Psallo Praise Ministries”
My heart sings a joy-filled song…
Hello Paul,
I just updated http://bridgesites.org – It should now answer most of your questions.
The information at http://blogministry.org could also be helpful if you are not already familiar with it.
You asked about specific examples like http://www.freeenglishlessons.org and sport sites.
see:
http://webevangelist.blogspot.com/2005/09/chinese-ministry-websites-volunteer.html
and
http://webevangelist.blogspot.com/2005/10/synergy-of-combined-passions.html
For the sport sites, in addition to the ways mentioned on the BridgeSites.org website, some sport stars are Christians and sharing about what they have said about their faith makes it an easy transition.
As I launch this new ministry http://internetminister.org I believe my niche will be empowering people to share their faith through bridge sites.
Your site has a lot of influence and I’d really appreciate you helping get the word out. The site http://bridgesites.org is functional now and will be completed by April1.
If I can be on any further assistance, just let me know,
Scott Reese, web evangelist / internet minister.