It takes a lot to create a blog or website, but Christian leaders know it’s worth it.
I’m really excited about today’s post: this week 20 of my favorite Christian bloggers emailed me their reasons for writing! Some have a large following; others are just getting started. Combined, they reach over 200,000 email subscribers and the same number of twitter followers. These men and women inspire me with their high-quality content and their heart for spreading Christ’s message.
I know you’ll benefit from what they have to say. As you read through their words, envision what you too could do with an online platform.
Here’s how these favorite writers answered:
Culture follows its thought leaders, and the currency of leadership today is brilliant writing. So for me, blogging is one of the primary pathways to influencing vital change in my surrounding culture.
The primary aim of our blog is to proclaim our seven shared values by defining them straight from the Bible and sharing stories of how God is molding our family of churches through these values.
1. Blogging helps me serve others in ministry and leadership, even in a small way.
2. Blogging twice weekly keeps me disciplined in the craft of writing.
3. Blogging helps me hone my leadership thoughts into transferrable concepts.
I consider myself primarily a preacher and teacher, not a writer. But a door for writing has opened for me, and writing enables me to teach, influence, and disciple people for Christ’s sake that I otherwise would not be able to reach.
Our number one goal is to serve the church and one of the best ways we can do that is with our blog posts. Posts that are largely written by those who are in the trenches of everyday ministry. We want to connect with our readership in a manner that is on their level, and having our “in the trenches” writers is one if the best ways to connect.
We can be changed profoundly by deep truths, simply put. I hope that my blogging is a drip-drip of gospel thinking that—cumulatively, or even as a one-off—can open eyes to the glory of Christ.
Blogging is a tremendous and unique (to our generation) opportunity to be salt and light to the world; to spread a passion for truth and for glory to any and all who are genuinely hungry for it.
I care about thinking and conversing with people. Blogging is a means to that end. I can engage with others at any time on any subject. I have grown to like the idea of crisp and brief statements that move a conversation along. What started me blogging? The passion to share relevant perspectives in conversations that were, in my opinion, without well-rounded information. If people cherish their bias, then there is no joy in communicating with them. If people are being swept up by inflated rhetoric then I may want to offer my opinion as a “speed bump” to cause them to pause and question mob mentality. I appreciate it when people do that for me, and occasionally it is welcomed.
Blogging is an opportunity to speak truth for God’s glory.
My motivation to write is hopefully and prayerfully rooted in a desire to serve those who serve others through the worship ministry in the local church. My theology and philosophy of worship has been formed and shaped by writers who truly had something to say – people like Harold Best, Bryan Chapell and David Peterson. If we can help others be more effective worship leaders through the resources on our website, then I will be grateful to God for His grace and provision.
When God called me to teach at Westminster, I thought the best contribution a professor could make would be to write a good book. A professor’s books, if they are done well, attract students to come to his school, provide good texts for his courses, and serve the larger body of Christ. Further, I have always felt that God has given me better gifts in writing than in teaching, preaching, or counseling. So I write whenever I can. To summarize, I write because God has equipped me to write, because writing is helpful to the ministry of a seminary, and because God has blessed my soul so much through the books of others.
To me, blogging is important because I believe if God sees fit to bless me with an insight on some topic it would be wasteful and selfish not to try to share it with as many other people as possible.
I want to be able to communicate with my church people as often as possible. And if they are online, I hope to engage them there as well to some extent. I also want people who are curious about our church and our ministry who search online to be able to find some good stuff on us. And lastly, I like to write, and I like to be able to take my heart and thoughts and put it somewhere.
My passion behind blogging would primarily be a desire for Christians to see Scripture-study as one of the greatest joys they can experience in their lifetime. The Bible is often neglected, or read dutifully at best. I hope to encourage and equip believers as they embrace the journey of knowing God by knowing his Word. A bonus is the fact that I learn a great deal along the way.
I see blogging as a platform for ministry. I have my blogs post automatically to Facebook and LinkedIn so that if some of my contacts are not Christians, maybe something I write will pull them in… Knowing (articles) are coming up each week keeps me reading, praying listening with intent.
I am inspired by smart, articulate people who have something to say. I gain so much through thought-stretching conversations; even more as I get older. Occasionally, I am overcome with passion for some idea or fact, and I feel compelled to introduce that topic of conversation. A blog is great for that!
To help encourage, promote, and equip gospel centered worship.
Blogging extends your voice across the entire globe without the need for a gatekeeper. People can then judge your work on its immediate quality and relevance, determining if it is worth accepting. Blogging and the Internet make conversations possible in ways we never could have conceived.
I can have a larger Kingdom impact and feel I’m using my time more effectively.
I care so much about writing because I am a much better communicator when I write than when I speak. If I am forced to get answers “live” and “on the spot,” I can usually do an adequate job. But, if I am given time to think, pray, and study, and then put the answer in writing, I find that it is much better.
Wow, it is so encouraging to see the heart of these gifted writers!
Writing online really does allow Christian leaders to magnify their influence and impact. It’s a great way to share what you’re learning and spur others on toward Christ. If you have something to say and you’ve been wondering whether blogging is the route to go, I hope you’ll take some inspiration. Today every leader can benefit from the amazing tool of blogging.