Image by -Snugg- via FlickrEvery blogger has to do one blog on the subject of blogging in their career! And you can consider this my one and ONLY blog about blogging. There literally are blogsites started up just for bloggers to blog about blogging but for the most part, I'll leave it up to those guys to do the talking on the subject of blogging.
But I did want to put in my 2 cents here because the other day and cool analogy came into my head. I realize that blogs and churches are very much alike. The reason most people don't go to churches is the same reason most people don't like to read blogs. Because often times, blogsites and church services are dull, boring, irrelevant. There is nothing fresh and no one has put any effort into making their visitors feel welcome. People just want to be in their own little world and talk about themselves and be with the people in their clique.
On the other hand, I have come to see that when there is a church or a blogsite that is the completely fresh, alive, welcoming, enthusiastic, relevant to the times, the response is quite the opposite. People will actually grab all their friends and tell them "You HAVE to visit this place!" And they will keep coming back for more again and again and again.
A good blog or church is really hard to find. The majority of them out there are dry and dull and have lost all sense of life. This is why when you say "I go to church" or "I have a blogsite" people cringe and think you must not have any life whatsoever. Well I have news for you, I both go to church and have a blogsite and my life is anything but dull! And today I am going to share with you the secret behind some of the influencing factors that have shaped me as well as this blogsite. As well I am going to tell you where some amazing life giving churches are where you can find teachings and podcasts that are out of this world.
I listen to alot of teachings and messages about making church a warm place to be. Not only is it a house where we go all out for people that come in but we go all out for the people and the community outside the church. We do all we can to create an environment where people are nurtured, not preached to about what needs to change in their lives. If there is anything that needs to change, God is quite capable. He created the world all on his own and I'm sure that he doesn't need us getting our sticky little fingers in other people's lives.
There were some podcasts I was listening awhile ago of a women's conference called "Cherish" at Abundant Life Church in Bradford England. The speaker's name is Charlotte Scanlon-Gambil and she is one of the pastors there. She was speaking about how here in this place, the church we literally should be setting a table for whoever comes. In the same way that you would prepare for a dinner party, every aspect of church life should be about pouring our best into anyone who walks through those doors. And that it is an incredible calling and privilege to pour our hearts and lives out to create the very best atmosphere and environment. It's like preparing a meal for guests and then after we spend all those hours preparing, we sit back and let our visitors and invitees take the very best portion of servings.
Although those messages were about hospitality and welcoming people into our homes and our churches, the truth is those principles can be applied into anything we do, even a blogsite. So after listening to those inspiring teachings, I set about to do just that on my blogsite, create an environment where there would not only be fun and enthusiasm but a sense of nurture. And with these principles in mind, it affects all aspects of the blogsite. Every single detail from the content on the blogposts, to the fonts I use, to the gadgets on the sidebar is my way of "setting the table" for you.
I honestly wish that there were more of both blogsites and churches that got this concept and would be willing to pour their heart and soul into creating an amazing place. There are so many bad blogsites that has given blogging a bad name in the same way that there are so many churches and Christians that give us a bad name. But my experience is telling me that people actually WANT to go to these places. They do enjoy a blogsite, if it has been done right. And they will visit a church, if they can feel life and energy in the place. People are just tired of only seeing places that are doing nothing but spinning their wheels and going nowhere.
But I am constantly searching out both great blogs and both great churches with good messages and podcasts to fuel people with life. In terms of great blogsites, on my side bar under "Beautiful Blogs" there is a list of blogs that I am following that I think are great quality reads. As well on my Tango 2 the Moon site there is another list of blogs that I follow that I find fairly interesting.
As for churches, I am in love with Centro Cristiano Nueva Vida Like Hillsong Church Australia, Lakewood Christian Centre in Houston Texas or Abundant Life Church in Bradford England, we are in the midst of preparing a "feast" for the people of Buenos Aires in Dec. The name of our feast is called "Rock and Vida" and it is going to be feast to end all feasts!
Yes, those type of churches exists....I attend one! And to prove it to you, I'm going to put a clip here of an out of this world message called "The Punctuation of Life" at Cherish 2008 by Charlotte Scanlon-Gambil. Now for some of you, your first instinct maybe just to skip the video and think "This isn't for me". But PLEASE don't! Even if you are a man! There is amazing stuff in this video and principles you can take away. And besides, how often do you get to see a speaker get up on a treadmill will giving the message! I wouldn't be putting this video on this site if there wasn't anything to "feast" on.....
Tango 2 the Moon
