I had a recent revelation that I have been internally conflicted about how the whole of church technology has been advancing online. I’ve touted that bloggers need to market well, create great images for their articles, people should expand into podcasts, create eBooks, get on YouTube, and more.
But when they do, I’m not impressed and quite disappointed.
Initially, I was worried I was being hypocritical, but I have figured out the source of my frustration:
They are not creating their own stuff, they are mimicking everyone else.
Just Doing The Same Thing Everyone Else Is
In the last 6 months I have seen an explosion of content from the church tech world. There are many new podcasts, but I fear they are not saying anything new. It feels like the same stuff over and over. We’ve had conversations with people about how to do eBooks, only to feel like people have simply tried to copy us and it feels slimy. And we recommend a free stock photo site and then see the same photo used over and over.
In their effort to create something new, they have simply added noise and it isn’t worth consuming.
I recognize this applies to me too. In my Minecraft series, many of my redstone projects are replications of what other people have done and I simply followed a tutorial to replicate it. While this is a silly little example, it hits home for me. But it is certainly not my goal and I want to do original things.
Create Something Great Instead of Duplicating What You Consumed
Steve Jobs is known for many things, but one of wisest things I took away from him is that he doesn’t want his children to have iPads unless they are going to be making something. He wants them to not learn to just consume video games, YouTube, or other digital products, but to develop habits of being creative.
Maybe a better way of saying the title is reproducing someone hard work is just standard, creating your own is special.
I don’t want you to be standard.
This sounds self-serving, but we don’t need another ChurchMag.
My goal when I signed on with ChurchMag was to create and create well. I wanted to share the dialogue I’ve been having internally and externally. I wanted to set new trails with church tech that is happening with By The Numbers. And we are going WAY out-of-the-box with our Minecraft server.
It’s unique and it’s good.
We are trailblazing is so many different ways, some of them public, others not. But we are being original, creative, and true to ourselves, and I think that is why we have seen the success we have had.
What Are You Going to Change?
You have the opportunity to do something great for the Kingdom of God. Why hold back? You can tell God’s story in a unique and powerful way and help the Church move forward.
But it takes effort. It takes time. It takes creativity. It takes a little pain of breaking your pride to identify that you have been replicating, so that you can move forward in creating.
Jared M says
For as long as I’ve followed ChurchMag, that has been the case. Original content or, at the very least, fresh approaches to old content and systems. It’s what I appreciate so much about the entire team and reflects well of both current leadership and former leadership.
I always learn something from you guys, which is what keeps me coming back day after day. Thanks!
(P.S. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so take copies for what they’re worth.)
Jeremy Smith says
Jared,
Thanks for the kind words. Eric truly has done amazing stuff and transformed this into what it is today. Hope you can keep learning.
To the point of imitation being flattery, individually, I am flattered. But for the sake of the Kingdom, imitation does not necessarily further God’s message and that is ultimately what is most important. So I’m flattered, but I’d rather people be themselves and go for broke.
Nick Farr says
Well this is really coming across arrogant. You know I’m a fan of yours but this is overreaching.
Jeremy Smith says
How so? By no means was that the intent.
Nick Farr says
First you know I’m on your side. I’m a fan of yours. You guys do great stuff. However, this article seems like it’s written to snuff out other blogs. Believe me, I totally get the fact that people copy. I just had a series concept copied and placed on another store for sale. Do I pursue? No. It’s just life. That’s how some people will roll. Is it annoying? Yes. BUT, if I wanted to address it, I’d do so with that individual instead of with a blog post. The entire thing reeks that your’e frustrated and slightly passive aggressive. Everyone knows you’re thinking of certain people/blogs but you never mention that. It seems to me like a crucial conversation needs to happy with those individual people. If it has to no avail then its life. Unfortunately on the internet we can’t do much about it. People will be people and do what they want. Blog shaming them doesn’t work.
Jeremy Smith says
You say everyone knows I’m thinking of a blog or people, but I’m not. Where do you get this assumption that this is the case?
Also, I’m not the passive aggressive type. I’m the “put my foot in my mouth because I was overly aggressive” type.
Nick Farr says
I’m also making an assumption, but when I read this type of stuff it’s hard to to assume that you have a particular person/audience in mind when writing it.
“In the last 6 months I have seen an explosion of content from the church tech world. There are many new podcasts, but I fear they are not saying anything new. It feels like the same stuff over and over. We’ve had conversations with people about how to do eBooks, only to feel like people have simply tried to copy us and it feels slimy. And we recommend a free stock photo site and then see the same photo used over and over.”
But that said, I’m still an fan of yours and I’m still on your team. To quote your bio on Twitter…I’m just pushing back. (with some love).
Jeremy Smith says
I stand by that statement. The hope is that instead of duplicating content, they can make it their own, just as Youthmin.org decided more people from smaller and unique “non-rockstar” roles needed to have a place to blog. Your site is the very example of doing this right. There is a million and one youth ministry sites and you guys set yourself apart. Talking about similar topics, but ABSOLUTELY NOT parroting anyone.
I want people to blog from their own personal experience, characteristics, and avoid sounding and doing as Churchmag does. I want an army of church tech bloggers that radically change how church uses tech and if everyone parrots it, then it’s really just one voice over and over again.
Nick Farr says
I totally get that man. Thanks!
Eric Dye says
I can see how you might see this as overreaching, but I think you may be overreacting. I think what Jeremy is offering is a challenge for more clarity and less noise. More unique voices and less parroting. More original songs on the same subjects and less cover bands singing the same songs—IMHO.
Jeremy Smith says
I recognize that I make too many things personal, but this is a kingdom article and one to see bloggers do more and be more. If people want to imitate us, that’s fine. But what if we could have them do something great that I can then get to learn from them, hear their passion, and even cite them as a resource for others to go to!
That’s what I want this article to be.
Also, the cover band is a great illustration.
Eric Dye says
Well…that illustration came from Chris Wilson in the ChurchMag backchannel… 😛
Kendall Lyons says
Awesome points!! Thank you reminding us of what the process and point of creating content that matters is really about!
Jeremy says
Thanks for the kind words. I think your blog is a living understanding of this article. Anime + Tech + Faith? That’s amazing!
Lauren Hunter says
Jeremy, I came across this article today and also, at first read, felt that it was extremely arrogant. I didn’t get a chance to read the comments until I had processed the article a bit, so it was interesting that others had some of the same “push back.”
My philosophy is to 1) do the best you can do to God’s glory 2) speak in love and kindness – especially as the church market is an extremely small one.
There will also be “fakers” and “imitators” out there, but I don’t think it’s necessary to point fingers and place blame. Of course, if someone pirates your content or takes your idea and repurposes it, send a private email and take issue right to the source. I’ve had to do that a lot over the last eight years of blogging because people will steal your content and publish it without your permission.
I guess the article just left me feeling icky . . . like you’re insulting all of the rest of us just aiming to do our best and serve God and the Church in the process; like you’re the coolest kid at school who’s telling everyone else they don’t have the right kind of sneakers.
Because I know you personally, Jeremy, and I know your heart, I know this doesn’t accurately represent you as a person, but I agree with Nick that this article treads the line of insulting everyone in “our” space – and not that long ago, you owned 78p.tv and were, for a short time, the editor of my site, ChurchTechToday, so don’t forget your roots!
My hope is that we are all building the Kingdom together – serving Christ, loving Him, loving others, and having a servant heart along the way.
Chris Wilson says
Hi Lauren,
I wonder if I didn’t read this article as such an attack on all the other church tech blogs because I’ve spoken to Jeremy about this before, or because I don’t run a different blog. For the record I know he is saying as we’ve kind of hinted above “don’t be a cover band, write your own songs,” It’s great there are other church tech blogs out there, its great that there are other people writing about social media, making podcast, writing ebooks, etc [as he mentions in the first paragraph he encourages it]. It’s like all the great rock songs written about love. Some may say some similar things or have similar themes but they are different.
What’s not so great is the “echo chamber” where everyone write the same thing about the same things. It’s not exclusive to the church tech scene and we are not immune at Churchmag (as Jeremy points out). But we should all aim higher and as you say “build the kingdom together.”
Being honest, there are some things I’ve written which are just rehashing the wisdom of others. They have never been the best things I’ve written or the most useful for people. The best things I’ve written are the unique articles. Oh and they’ve also had the most page views (in general). If you think I’m saying “look at how great I am” then you’re dead wrong.
Being a bit critical here, is it possible that you viewed this as “arrogant” and ” like you’re the coolest kid at school who’s telling everyone else they don’t have the right kind of sneakers” is because you, like us, have been guilty of being a cover band? I only ask because you mention things about us not owning the space and not forgetting your roots which just seem completely irrelevant to the whole conversation.
Jeremy says
I think Chris’ first couple of paragraphs sum up what I think well, so no need to rehash it.
I will also add that I haven’t forgotten my roots. In fact, it is because of your blog and others I have written for that have inspired such a thing. Before I had been an editor for you, I was writing for my personal blog, your website, and Churchmag. I could live in that tension because while all three were about church technology, it embodied this article perfectly because they all had a different voice. You were not emulating Churchmag, I wasn’t emulating you, and Churchmag was doing what they do best, being nerdy and interesting.
Your blog is intentional with laser sighted focus and goes for the practical articles to empower churches, Churchmag shoots from the hip and is cowboy in their geekiness, and if I keep with the gun illustration, my personal site was more of a hobbyist of personal opinions from what I was directly experiencing in youth ministry.
Maybe I need to improve my writing ability to avoid sounding arrogant as that is never my objective.. Of course, that also would take away from shooting from the hip too.
Eric Dye says
John Saddington says
Everything is a remix.
You’ve seen an explosion in the last 6 months…? Try the last 6 years.
Lol.