Using a Blog in Ministry
Platforms for Written Communication
In the fourteenth century BC, neighboring statesmen and Egyptian pharaohs used clay tablets to exchange messages. We call these the Amarna Letters. Today people continue to exchange written messages but use different platforms. We’ve moved from clay tablets to scrolls to parchments to bound books to newspapers to e-readers.
The church is no different. Believers have exchanged important messages since the first century. From the twenty-seven inspired books of the New Testament to the documents of the Church Fathers to Bibles printed on the Gutenberg press to sermons in the newspapers of Colonial America, we have used all available platforms for spreading God’s truth in written form. Today, one such method is the blog.
A Short History of the Blog
Using the Internet, college student Justin Hall launched the first blog in 1994. He called it a personal homepage. Similar websites multiplied and were later dubbed a “weblog.” Peter Merholz shortened the word to “blog” in 1999, paving the way for Merriam-Webster to make it their word of the year in 2004.
To hear Pastor Overmiller discuss his online ministry and other topics, check out this podcast.
Listen to “Pastoring an Urban Church with Pastor Thomas Overmiller episode 013” on Spreaker.
A blog is a website that shares personal thoughts and comments from the writer. (Sometimes it also shares hyperlinks, videos, and photographs.) You’ve probably seen them. News sites use them. Sports writers use them. Hobbyists, businesses, and teachers use them. Anybody can use them.
But should pastors use them? Should they upload personal reflections and resources to a dedicated blog site? I would be naïve to insist that every pastor should do so. But every pastor should consider the possibility.
Pastoral Purposes for Blogging
Blogs have many benefits. They are easy to use, accessible to your audience, and inexpensive to operate. (My blog, with text and podcast audio, costs a meager $33 per month.) As such, a blog is an excellent way for a pastor to say things to his congregation apart from the pulpit.
Feed Your Congregation. Jesus instructed Peter to feed His sheep (John 21:16). Peter said the same to every pastor (1 Pet. 5:2). But how does this feeding occur? Through biblical thoughts and words (1 Tim. 4:6). Have you met the pastor who writes helpful pamphlets about important topics, making them available on a wall rack in the church foyer? A blog provides a convenient platform for feeding wholesome words to your congregation in a similar way. But as a bonus, you avoid the expense of print publication and gain the convenience of instant digital communication.
Increase Your Pastoral Presence. David reminds us that the Good Shepherd places Himself among His sheep (Ps. 23:4). Jesus did this with His disciples, choosing twelve “that they should be with him” (Mark 3:14). Paul also practiced this, teaching believers “from house to house” (Acts 20:20). You see, feeding a church requires more than sermons from a pulpit. It requires a ubiquitous approach, interacting with God’s children in life, beyond larger church gatherings. Pulpit ministry is essential, and technology can never replace an old-fashioned house visit. But a blog provides words and thoughts from the pastor for every house, computer, and cell phone in your congregation.
Provide Helpful Materials. Where do I put study guides for in-home Bible studies? On my blog. Answers to excellent questions? On my blog. Devotional encouragement? On my blog. Responses to newsworthy, trending issues? On my blog. Links to recommended resources? You guessed it. And church members go there to find these things. Furthermore, if you don’t provide these resources, someone else will. And this leads me to another important purpose for a pastoral blog.
Voice Biblical Fundamentals and Baptist Beliefs. Important ideas deserve to be heard. More than anything else, this includes the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. Adding your pastoral voice online to proclaim and articulate this essential truth advances the glory of God in the world (assuming you do so in a wholesome manner). Furthermore, you will agree that Baptist convictions and other distinguishing doctrinal beliefs, though not on the level of gospel fundamentals, should also be voiced in the public arena of words and ideas. You cannot defend the truth in silence. A blog enables you to lend a voice to the truth that you hold dear.
Counteract Internet Garbage. How many times have you discovered that a church member Googled his or her way into unfortunate or heretical ideas? Yes, the Internet is a fountain of theological nonsense, to be sure. But rather than complain about this problem, you can counteract it. Provide God’s people with some alternative content. (But please don’t add to the garbage pile!) Write insightful articles and Bible studies of your own, and link to others you recommend. What’s more, you can even produce a quality audio podcast. So what are you waiting for?
Increase Church Visibility. Whether your blog is on or associated with your church website, it can increase the odds that people will find your church site through search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. How does this work? First, write relevant content using keywords and phrases that people are searching for online. Then make it easy for viewers to share and link to your content through social media and other blogs. Keep doing this, and your website will rise in search-engine rankings over time. As you provide your church with helpful, biblical content, you are increasing the probability that new contacts will find your church as well. Now that’s a fantastic bonus.
Blogging Precautions
While blogging as a pastor yields many benefits, you should exercise appropriate caution, especially as a pastor. One slip of the—um, keys—can damage your role as an example to the church and a herald of the gospel.
Post Quality Content. Since your blog will be in public view, post purposeful and presentable materials. People who use the Internet grade the credibility of a pastor or church, at least in part, on the quality of the content they see. Knowing this, commit yourself to good grammar, clear thoughts, and clean formatting. Also, provide materials that answer real questions, address relevant topics, and provide helpful information. It is regrettable when a pastor uses his blog to vent frustration or launch full-throated diatribes. A pastor should be neither pugnacious nor contentious, even on a blog (1 Tim. 3:3).
Proofread Your Words. Before you click “publish,” proofread your content. Check the spelling and grammar. Then review the post to be sure it makes sense and is easy to understand. To help with this, I recommend the service of naturalreaders.com. This free software will read your text back to you audibly, which is an excellent way to evaluate your content with accuracy and honesty. (Be ready to wince and make corrections!)
Be Aware of Digital Permanence. What goes online, stays online, even if you delete something after you post it. So ask yourself some hard questions beforehand. Will I hurt the testimony of Christ in any way? Will I harm anyone? Will I cut off legitimate ministry opportunities? Will I regret saying this, in this way, for any reason? Be your harshest critic beforehand and you will never regret it.
Refrain from Clickbait. Quality content that helps people is one thing. But content aimed at high-volume traffic using sensational, eye-catching words and topics is another, especially when you sacrifice quality and accuracy. Before you post anything, prayerfully audit your motives. “Am I posting this to help people or to attract attention?” Quality content that meets genuine needs builds quality traffic over time. There are no shortcuts. So stick to your mission and let the results take care of themselves.
Ask Yourself Some Questions
If you hope to launch your own pastoral or ministry blog, first ask yourself why you plan to do so. Can you explain your purpose, the role it will have in your ministry, and the principles that will guide you? And if you already host a blog, pause to reevaluate your reasons. Have you defined them? Are you faithful to them? Or have you drifted away somehow?
Not every pastor needs a blog. But like any other platform for written communication, it provides you with a voice and venue for shepherding God’s people. As such, it is an opportunity that every pastor should consider in our digital age.
Thomas Overmiller shepherds Faith Baptist Church in Corona, New York (StudyGodsWord.com). He blogs and podcasts at ShepherdThoughts.com.
(Originally published in FrontLine • July/August 2017. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.)