Rethinking the blog

You know that there's a lot of stuff going on at the moment, what with reflections on future changes in the nature of our ministry etc. This obviously has implications for the blog.

Daveys2France started out as a kind of family newsheet so that folks who know us could follow our progress as we settled into life and ministry in France. As time has gone on it's been focused a little more on ministry news rather than on kids' schooling and stuff.

Current ministry is fine for that, but the future may not be.

Also a colleague remarked the other day on how important it is now to preach on the internet.

Hmmm. Now I am convinced that internet preaching is in general part of the problem and not part of the solution. And one of my watchwords for life is to always try to ensure that I am part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

However the colleague may have a point. Perhaps I need to steer more towards Bible reflection and perhaps message posting (message in the sense of preaching message...)

We'll see.

Comments

Emmanuel said…
Hi, here's my two pennies worth.
I love your blog. It is full of insight on France and French society. I find it helpful also to keep in touch with what's going on in your lives, alongside your newsletters, and to pray for you and your ministry.
In my opinion, changing the style of the blog would be a mistake.
I agree that the web is a tool that we must use to spread the good news, and to help build up christians. But there are so many one-man blogs around, where the authors give their opinion on such and such an issue, or biblical text, or doctrine. Do you really want to join that crowd? Your blog would become lost in an ocean of other voices, and lose what makes it interesting. Sure, you would still have a following, but is that what you want?
I find that the most useful blogs are those where several authors interact and write. They are usually more interesting, and it is a safer option. There is an editorial line to follow, they agree on a confession of faith. They also follow an agenda...
There is a crying need for such a blog/website in French, especially from a Reformed Evangelical point of view. But in my opinion, it shouldn't be a one man venture. Maybe Daveys2france could stay as it is, and you could join forces with others to develop something useful for the French speaking world.
Anyway, that's only my two pennies woth.
5:58 pm
Alan said…
Thanks for your two-pennorth, that's exactly the kind of feedback I want.

Yes, someone once commented that there wasn't much theological reflection on the site, and I thought "I can't imagine anything worse than a whole site devoted to my theological reflections !"

However there may be a happy medium - keeping the family news and observations side of the blog, but mixed with perhaps something aimed not so much at the French-speaking world, but at my own church, the folk who can't get to midweek meetings, for example...
6:28 pm
Emmanuel said…
I'd say that's different. Many pastors do that kind of things for their church folks, usually on their church website, or newsletter. In this case, you hope there's a body of elders that are overseeing the teaching anyway, so it's not as if the man is on his own, making his opinion known to the world, without anyone to check up on him. Here, you'd work in a church setting.
But I wouldn't mix it up with the blog. I would use the church website, or set up a new blog just for that purpose. A blog is good if you're not trying to do too many things at the same time. Daveys2france is fine as it is. what about using the church website for your purpose?
8:24 pm
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