Blogging. It can be the bane of any church communications department’s existence. Not because blogging is some horrible experience that smart people would rather avoid (do you think I would be writing this post if it was?!).
No, blogging can be fun.
Coming up with topics for posts week in and week out — not so much.
For a year and a half, back when I worked in the communications department of my church, I was responsible for the church’s blog (on top of everything else I had to do). Some days I loved it. Other days…let’s just say I wanted to go all Office Space on the blog like it was some kind of old printer.
Developing new and exciting posts every week was difficult, but over time, I saw a pattern that helped make coming up with new topics easier.
If you’re looking to master your church’s blog, consider writing posts on the following topic categories:
Church Values
Every church has them but, let’s be honest, most people don’t know them. What a great way to share and explain the values of your church for your members and visitors!
Church Mission
What’s the mission of your church? What makes you unique from the church that meets down the road? Why should people get behind what you’re doing? Answer those questions and you’ll likely have weeks’ worth of posts.
Expand on Sunday Morning’s Message
Do a recap of the Sunday sermon. Expand upon one of the points, list out practical ways to live it out. Maybe even ask your pastor to do a followup.
What to Expect
Most visitors are nervous checking out a church for the first time. Give them all the info they need to know via your blog. Snap pictures of where they are to drop off their children. Give them a taste of what service is like. Maybe even post a video from the eyes of a visitor on Sunday morning.
Ministry Events
Give extra promotion to an upcoming event. If it’s a class, explain what people can expect, include a video promotion and link to any resources provided. If it’s an adult ministry group, explain why they should invite friends to the event. Don’t forget to include all the event details, so they don’t have to dig for it later!
Resources, Resources, and More Resources
People LOVE to get something for free. Why not share some free resources put out by your church? Or review resources they can purchase in your bookstore. If you can get a pastor to write a 2-3 sentence recommendation, even better!
Life Help
The topic ideas here are endless: building stronger marriages, surviving your single years, overcoming addiction, creating a budget, finding help after divorce, receiving prayer for your issues, finding freedom from your strongholds. We all have issues. Writing posts that address those issues and offer practical advice is always a plus.
There you have it. Seven topic categories that should get your post writing juices flowing and help you master your church’s blog.
What other post topics would you suggest?
[Image via Anthony Ryan cc]
Eric Dye says
Every time you write a post on ChurchMag, I swoon.
Excellent post, Jason. 🙂
Jason Vana says
Thanks Eric! I never knew my writing could make someone swoon. 🙂
Dave Shrein says
Jason, I love this. I think you pretty much just wrote a church website manifesto! There is nothing more powerful that knowing your churches values and then being able to use story to highlight those values and raise them up.
Great post. Definitely going to be one I tweet out to other!!
Jason Vana says
Thanks Dave! Coming from a long marketing background, I learned early on the importance of sharing your mission and values over and over and over again. What better way to get them out there than through your church blog?