Why Pastors/Leaders Don't Blog
As a follow up to my Why I Blog . . . and Why Other Pastors Should Too post a couple weeks back and as I have been thinking about the startling statistic that 27% of online adults read blogs, I have been asking myself, "Why don't more pastors or other organizational leaders blog?" Here's what I have come up with so far:
1. Lack of Vision: They don't get it. They don't see that blogging is a simple, quick and easy way to connect and communicate to their people. Maybe they don't see themselves as leaders who others follow.
2. Lack of Time: Pastors/leaders are some of the busiest people around. There are tasks, people, fires that constantly demand their time. Because they lack the vision for blogging, they can't imagine carving out the time for it every day.
3. Lack of Knowledge/Information/Skills: Some pastors/leaders are technically challenged and would like to blog, but don't know how to get there. They're intimidated and don't know where to start. (I started my blog in fifteen minutes by following the step by step instructions at blogger.com. You can do this!)
4. Lack of Confidence: Some pastors/leaders probably feel they have nothing to say and think they don't have an audience for their blog. If they have an audience for Sunday mornings they have an audience for their blog. The trick is getting folks to the blog on a habitual basis.
5. Lack of Vulnerability: One of the most common responses to my blog has been, "I enjoy seeing a side of you I don't see on Sundays." I am not sure exactly what that means, but I do know that blogging is a "casual" medium that allows me to express myself in unique and apparently fresh ways. Pastoring/leading happens through personality and people want to see who a pastor/leader is. (Trips me out sometimes.) Perhaps, some pastors/leaders are afraid to open themselves up in this transparent way.
I think these are real issues. Believe me, I have plenty to do. But blogging is proving to be a valuable way to connect and communicate to the people of Grace Church, SLO. Each week, I am pleasantly surprised by the various people who comment, email and approach me in person to tell me they are enjoying life together. Thanks for reading along!
I came up with 5 reasons why I think pastors/leaders don't blog. What do you think?
1 comment:
I agree with much of that and posted something quite similar about a week ago in the Open Source Ministry Blogging ForumThere is another option. It just does not fit every person.
A previous minister at the church where I am now did puppet ministry, but that really does not fit me.
I know another minister who did a clown ministry, while I haven't worn a red nose in public for years.
Another minister I know does Coffee House ministries where they set up temporary coffee houses with entertainment to provide an atmosphere for evangelism, but I don't like coffee.
Another minister is heavy into face-to-face evangelism and speaks about being a Christian to every person who will pause to listen, and while he has some success this is not for everyone.
In the post linked above I recommended another option. Some people have the gift of blogging, and with the direction of a minister they could use their gift in a powerful way.
We all have different gifts and not every member of the body is the same, but joined together we use our gifts to build up the church in unison.
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