Power of the (Blog) Pen...

Much is now being written regarding the power of the internet's newest capability... the 'blog'. Even Christians are now beginning to imagine its application in daily life. At our church, we're even starting -- just starting -- to consider that the church web-team may not just be about expediting a web SITE, but rather, a web STRATEGY among all our people.

[Here's a local church -- IndyChurch.org (Pastor Bill Bean, "The Unnecessary Pastor") -- that's well ahead of the curve... and learning together. Here's an individual thought-provoking post from one of their bloggers... "Meeting Our Neighbors".]

That is, rather than simply having a singular site about our local church, what if it's more impactfully capable of being a whole tapestry of individual sites attempting to help ACCOMPLISH the mission of our church?

Certainly that thought then begs the question: "What is the mission of our church?" And one might hope that such a 'little-c' question begs the bigger question: "What is the mission of the Church?"

Eric Swanson was in Indy this past weekend doing a seminar -- sponsored by the Indianapolis Center for Congregations. [Some of us were able to share an informal breakfast-time with him at the U.B. Cafe.] And this morning, I've now started reading his book... "The Externally-focused Church". Simply the title gives away its message loud and clear: The local church should be internally-strong and externally-focused.... Be salt & light in your community.

How might this new 'power of the blog pen' be put to work in our community?

If a gaping hole in Christ's Church today is its lack of unity/harmony, then perhaps a city-network of Christian blogs -- all reciprocally pointing to each other -- could at least start to look like a model of what the Church could & should be on the ground.

Start a blog for your neighborhood, and link to other Christian-driven neighborhood sites? Here's a neighborhood blog about how to blog, even.