Today is a dream come true: I get to see my name in the Wall Street Journal. I was interviewed for article on how churches are using blogs, podcasts, and other web technologies to reach people. I spoke with the author, Andrew LaVallee, a couple of weeks ago for about an hour after he came across the Blogging Church book site. Andrew was great to work with and was kind enough to let me know with the article went live.
Holy Sites: Churches Embrace the Web in Bid to Attract Members
My quote is found at the end (really, the very end). I'm pretty sure that's where they put the best quotes to reward people who read the whole thing :)
The article is currently free and doesn't require a subscription to read. After today, you will have to have an account. I believe the article is for the online edition only, but I'll be checking the print edition just to make sure.
Funny story...remember when I wrote about Jacob's Well - the future of church websites? I mentioned them to Andrew as a great example of what he was talking about and next thing you know they've got two paragraphs in the WSJ! Very cool. Life Church and National Community Church are also mentioned, amongst others.
Since I was about 14 years old, my favorite newspaper has been the Wall Street Journal. For most of my life, I have been unable to justify the hefty subscription fee, so I've made do with numerous 4-Week Free Trials! to get my fix. In fact, one of my favorite treats has always been a copy of the Friday Journal (the best edition due to the extra political coverage, and now movies, television, and other weekend items). Yes, I would choose a $1 paper over a $5 venti...I'm strange that way.
I'll even throw this story in, mostly for Ben (stories like this come in handy when you have a child approaching the teen years). When I was in college, money was so tight that I would regularly collect empty soda cans from the dorm to collect the recycling deposit ($0.10 each in Michigan!). If I was feeling especially rich, I would use that to by the Friday Journal. I think all of us have something that will forever seem like an incredible extravagance - for me, it's the Journal.
Of course, the irony is that I finally decided to treat myself to an entire year of the journal in December. The subscription has been on hold since January, pending the completion of the book. I love God's sense of humor!
Wow, super-star! I gots to get me one of them books, with your signature on it, so I can sell it on eBay.
Posted by: Nathan Smith | May 17, 2006 at 03:34 PM
Brian- that was awesome! I'm so glad that I checked in on here today and got to see the article. Your writings are a pleasure to read!
Congratulations!!!
Posted by: Laura Bailey | May 17, 2006 at 09:39 PM
Way cool, Brian. Congratulations. I bet you didn't know that I was once quoted in my high school paper!
Posted by: Andy "Suck-up-to-the-boss" Knight | May 17, 2006 at 09:44 PM
Brian,
That's so cool! Congrats!!!
Posted by: Jimmy Williams | May 17, 2006 at 10:10 PM
Nathan: Your request for an autographed copy of the book has been recorded. Please provide your credit card number and I'll charge it as soon as the book is ready.
Laura: Thanks, sis!
Andy: Your kind words have been duly noted in your file.
Jimmy: Thanks a lot!
Posted by: Brian | May 19, 2006 at 09:47 AM