Generation Blog
In the mid to late 1990s, Christian thinkers started putting forth the idea that internet ministry was a viable option and should be embraced by the church as a whole in order to stay culturally relevant, and to avoid being passed by on the information highway. The idea of Christianity using technology to advance the Gospel was not a new one (think of radio and television programs, for example). Internet evangelism simply stems out of other ways of evangelism. (see Jeff Zaleski’s The Soul of Cyberspace: How New Technology is Changing Our Spiritual Lives, San Francisco, CA: HarperEdge, 1997, p. 103).
With Generation X, "it's all about relationships," (see Ralph Moore's Friends: The Key to Reaching Generation X. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001, back cover) and incarnational ministry is also important. If we want to reach the young adults and adolescents of today, connecting with them through relational and incarnational ministry is key. Youth today want to see genuineness. Everyone wants to see genuiness.
With weblogs fostering communication and community, it would seem that they would be an ideal place on the internet to do ministry. Relational and incarnational ministry, it seems, have the potential to flourish via weblogging.
But, are Christians grabbing hold of the potential of ministry through weblogs? How are weblogging Christians online fostering relationships? Are they simply developing relationships with other Christians and perhaps alienating the non-Christians? Are they creating a distinct Christian weblogging community and alienating themselves from the rest of the online blogosphere? With all the adolescents who are blogging online, is anyone seeing the potential for youth ministry?
Are weblogging Christians, in essence, creating a weblogging "bubble," a closed Christian circle that includes only others of "like mind"? When you take a look at the weblogging community of an individual Christian weblogger via their sidebar and the other blogs they link to, it seems that often include mostly other Christian weblogs. Are Christian webloggers tending to communicate solely with other Christian webloggers?
Does the average Christian weblog invite non-Christians in? While Christian fellowship is happening amongst the Christians, what about the seeker? How is the world of Christian weblogging ministering to him, and how can it be improved? How can we encourage Christian webloggers to reach out to non-Christians in the blogosphere? How can we foster and facilitate relationships between non-Christians and Christians?
In the mid to late 1990s, Christian thinkers started putting forth the idea that internet ministry was a viable option and should be embraced by the church as a whole in order to stay culturally relevant, and to avoid being passed by on the information highway. The idea of Christianity using technology to advance the Gospel was not a new one (think of radio and television programs, for example). Internet evangelism simply stems out of other ways of evangelism. (see Jeff Zaleski’s The Soul of Cyberspace: How New Technology is Changing Our Spiritual Lives, San Francisco, CA: HarperEdge, 1997, p. 103).
With Generation X, "it's all about relationships," (see Ralph Moore's Friends: The Key to Reaching Generation X. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2001, back cover) and incarnational ministry is also important. If we want to reach the young adults and adolescents of today, connecting with them through relational and incarnational ministry is key. Youth today want to see genuineness. Everyone wants to see genuiness.
With weblogs fostering communication and community, it would seem that they would be an ideal place on the internet to do ministry. Relational and incarnational ministry, it seems, have the potential to flourish via weblogging.
But, are Christians grabbing hold of the potential of ministry through weblogs? How are weblogging Christians online fostering relationships? Are they simply developing relationships with other Christians and perhaps alienating the non-Christians? Are they creating a distinct Christian weblogging community and alienating themselves from the rest of the online blogosphere? With all the adolescents who are blogging online, is anyone seeing the potential for youth ministry?
Are weblogging Christians, in essence, creating a weblogging "bubble," a closed Christian circle that includes only others of "like mind"? When you take a look at the weblogging community of an individual Christian weblogger via their sidebar and the other blogs they link to, it seems that often include mostly other Christian weblogs. Are Christian webloggers tending to communicate solely with other Christian webloggers?
Does the average Christian weblog invite non-Christians in? While Christian fellowship is happening amongst the Christians, what about the seeker? How is the world of Christian weblogging ministering to him, and how can it be improved? How can we encourage Christian webloggers to reach out to non-Christians in the blogosphere? How can we foster and facilitate relationships between non-Christians and Christians?
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