Leave It Behind > Brian Bailey

The Blogging Church goes digital

How cool is this? The Blogging Church is now available for Amazon's Kindle! If you have one of those slick wireless reading machines, you can purchase The Blogging Church for $9.99 and be reading it in about a minute.

It's a fun treat to have a book focused on the digital world available digitally. Almost cool enough for me to justify the $359 cost of the Kindle :)

If you're just tuning in, The Blogging Church is a book I wrote (with Terry Storch) that was published early last year. It made a passionate case for using blogs to share the story of your church or organization with both the committed and the curious and featured a lot of terrific advice from talented bloggers in and out of the church world. One of my favorite authors, Seth Godin wrote some kind words about The Blogging Church on its release: "Brian Bailey makes two things crystal clear in this book: if you've got a church, then you need to spread your story. And if you need to spread your story, blogs are now an essential tool. Time to pay attention!"

If you have a Kindle and happen to buy the book, email me a nice pic of The Blogging Church on the Kindle and I'll be happy to send you an autographed copy of the dead tree version.

No. 28

I noticed this morning that the 28th review of The Blogging Church had been posted on Amazon. That was a nice surprise. More significant, though, was what the reviewer, Lisa Colton, had to say:

I work with synagogues, and found the approach of blogging for "ministry" can be useful and much more broadly defined than for churches alone. Very easy to read, full of practical examples.

I love hearing about the creative ways the book is being used. Though the focus is certainly on evangelical churches, I'm glad to know that others have found it helpful as well. Thanks again to Lisa and everyone else who has taken the time to post a review or send feedback!

How goes the book?

Often when I run into a friend or exchange emails, they will kindly ask about the book. Usually along the lines of "How's the book doing?" or "I haven't heard much about the book lately." I always appreciate the question. It feels a bit like they're asking for an update on my child, as in "How's Ben doing in school this year?", which is fine with me. In many ways, The Blogging Church does feel like a baby of mine (if I were to regularly sell my child for money to complete strangers, which I do not condone). Here's the latest.

I think most authors will tell you that the first three months after a book is published are the most crucial and entertaining. I'm referring here to a normal book, not one destined for the best seller list and backed by a major marketing campaign. The Blogging Church was published at the end of January and had a great launch (thanks to many of you). It briefly landed in the Top 200 on Amazon's best seller list and had a huge number of great reviews and feedback across the web. Those first few months involved a lot of work doing interviews, following up with readers, and promoting the book in various ways.

The book has continued to sell well since then, but after the initial push, the publisher's involvement basically ends and it's up to you and your readers to spread the word. Many of you have done just that - thank you for helping ignite a blogging revolution in churches across the country!

To continue to sell high numbers, you really have to be willing to promote yourself and the book nearly full-time (though you are always limited by the natural size of your audience). This includes pursuing speaking and writing opportunities at every turn and regularly promoting yourself and your consulting services. These are good ways to build your brand, open the door to additional books, and get yourself closer to being a full-time writer/consultant. That's not my focus right now, though I plan on writing another book in the future. My focus is on my career and my family - your time, attention, and passion can only be divided so many ways.

Nearly every day I receive an email from someone who recently read the book and started a new blog or has some questions. It's been incredible to see the impact of the book in so many different churches, denominations, and areas of the country. Many of you are really pushing the envelope of what a church blog can be.

If you've purchased the book in the last few months, let me say thanks! If it helped and entertained you, stop by Amazon and post a quick review. And please continue to share your story, and the story of your church, through blogs, podcasts, Facebook, Twitter, and the next big thing.

Interview with Read/WriteWeb

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of sitting down for a podcast interview with Sean Ammirati from Read/WriteWeb. If you're not familiar with Read/WriteWeb, they are an incredibly talented group of writers covering web technology through both breaking news and in-depth articles. It is one of my favorite sites and a definitive source for what is happening on the web with over 108K readers.

The site recently spent a week focusing on how non-profits can most effectively use the web and technology. My conversation with Sean for Read/WriteTalk fit into that theme, as we covered the use of blogs by churches, pastors and other non-profits. Sean is a very interesting guy - I hope to talk with him more in the future.

Listen to the Podcast | Read the Transcript | Read the Post

Relevant Leader essay published

My blogging essay for Relevant Leader has been published at last. You'll find it in the Summer 2007 issue under the title, How Blogging Can Become a Ministry.

The whole process was very interesting as it was my first experience writing for a magazine. The long lead time everyone talks about is definitely odd compared to blogging. I submitted the final version nearly 5 months ago - not quite the instant gratification you find online. Thankfully, I still agree with what I wrote!

Also, this was the first time my words were completely in the hands of someone else. When I wrote The Blogging Church, every single word was my own and the only changes were from an excellent copy editor. In fact, I even had some flexibility on whether or not to incorporate those. I had control over the organization, chapter titles, index, and everything in between. With Relevant, and I'm assuming most publications, I simply turned over the piece and the rest was in their hands. They chose the title and substantially edited the article, though they did not alter the tone or meaning.

For those of you who are curious about the financial side, Relevant Leader does not pay contributors. The general idea is that publication serves as exposure for the writer, particularly new authors whose books are also advertised in the same issue or actually included in their quarterly shipment (my book was neither). It's also considered a step toward writing for the more widely read Relevant Magazine, where writers are compensated. I've always been a fan of Relevant and greatly respect their unique audience, so it is an honor to be included.

If you'd like to read the original essay in its entirety, it's available online in four parts.

Is your church ready to blog?

Andrea Useem, a freelance journalist who blogs at religionwriter.com, has written an interesting piece on blogging in the church called, Is Your Church Ready to Blog? The article discusses how blogging can "break down church hierarchies and draw a wider audience into an authentic conversation." It features The Blogging Church as well as an interview with the always thought-provoking Ben Arment. Check out the full article.

Also, if you are short on quality reading material and don't regularly read Ben's blog, do yourself a favor and subscribe. He's the pastor of a cool church in Reston, Virginia and his blog is packed with ideas and insights on a wide variety of topics. We share so much in common (other than, well, the part about being a pastor) that is frightening. Lori always tells me the way Ben thinks reminds her of me, though that doesn't stop her from disagreeing with either one of us. Either way, it's clear both Ben and I married far beyond what we deserve, which is just one more thing we have in common!

The latest reviews

So many people have posted reviews of The Blogging Church on their blogs or on Amazon these past few months that I can't acknowledge them all without turning this into a very boring blog. My sincere thanks to everyone who has purchased the book and taken the time to share their thoughts - the feedback is very helpful and always interesting!

I do want to single out one very thorough and generous review. This was by Nathan Smith on Godbit, an excellent resource site for web designers who care about web standards.

For those of you who have been blogging for awhile, as you’re reading through this book, you will find many insights which you will agree with already. I think this book would be an ideal gift to a pastor. It masterfully describes the benefits of letting people hear an authentic voice. Much like blogging, the book’s brevity lends to its impact.

Read the full review.

If you ever want to track what people are saying about the book, or about your blog or organization, Google's blog search is a great place to start. Here's the search for blogging church.

If you don't have your copy yet, check out The Blogging Church on Amazon, where you can search inside the book, read an except, and browse over 20 reviews.

Afterword: Smile

Is there anything more exciting than the adventure of the Christian life? Our lives should reflect that, and so should our blogs.

A blog is a quick and easy outlet for frustrations and criticisms. Some of the most popular posts are those describing the ineptness of phone-based customer service, the flaws in a new product, or a poor experience with a customer or employee in a coffee shop, restaurant or store. There's something addictive and empowering in the last word, especially when our well-phrased slam is just a Google search away.

We who serve in the church are rightfully held to a higher standard. Our casual venting reflects on where we serve and the God we serve. We should never allow a thoughtless, snide remark to stand in the way of someone giving God a chance. We’re in the ministry, for Heaven’s sake — why are we writing about the rude person in the checkout line instead of inviting him to church?

I'm not talking about giving the impression that the Christian life is one of ease and comfort or presenting a false happiness. Honest stories about struggles and mistakes are a huge part of what connects people in the blogosphere. A relationship is formed between the writer and reader precisely because the words ring true. Blogs do feel like conversations, but a conversation that is relentlessly positive and void of doubt or difficulty keeps people at a distance. There is a huge difference between joy and happiness. Ed Young, pastor of Fellowship Church where I’m privileged to serve, just wrote a book about that very topic called Outrageous, Contagious Joy.

Each of us has so much to be thankful for. We have been saved by His grace. We have the privilege of serving in ministry. And we have the opportunity to tell others about Christ. No matter what we're facing, we must never lose that perspective.

Often it's as simple as sharing what God is doing in your life. I wrote a post last year while I was staying at a hotel to finish The Blogging Church. The post was about a seemingly trivial experience - soon after checking in, I came across the last remaining free copy of the Wall Street Journal at the front desk. For me, though, that small moment was an amazing reminder of God's love and sense of humor. The title of the post was borrowed from Coldplay — God Put a Smile Upon My Face.

If you want to read about this kind of joy, check out the blog of Steven Furtick, Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in North Carolina. This is a man who is on fire for Christ, passionate about reaching people, and in love with his family and his life. He doesn't hide his mistakes and frustrations or shy from defending the vision God has given him, but his pure, infectious joy stands out above all else. No one could read his blog for a week and not want to see what his church is all about. There's no doubt that Steven's eyes are wide open as he looks up and smiles.

U2's latest single, Window in the Skies, says this perfectly:

The rule has been disproved
The stone it has been moved
The grave is now a groove
All debts are removed
Oh can’t you see what love has done?
Oh can’t you see what love has done?
Oh can’t you see what love has done?
What it’s done to me?

Show what love has done for you. Write about it. Tell stories about it. Post pictures about it. Share the love.

And smile.

Part 4 of 4 | Previous

Afterword: Look Up

I know this sounds incredibly naive, but until blogging within the church went mainstream, I had no idea how much Christians love to attack, criticize, and belittle other churches and people in ministry. 

We love to look down, don't we? A virtual industry has been created filled with people determined to tear down other churches. It still strikes me as a bit unbelievable that these attacks are by other believers and not those opposed to the Christian faith. For some reason, people who have never stepped foot in the church they’ve chosen to target feel completely comfortable attacking its theology, style, outreach methods, and even the salvation of people who came to know Christ through the ministry. They offer armchair criticism and mocking commentary of a house of worship in the same callous and disdainful tone that might be used to evaluate a television show or weekend football game. 

Some of this pride and judgment can be found in the blogs of seminary students and the next generation of church leaders. There is often a sense that a few have stumbled upon the one way to do church and any other approach can be dismissed and ridiculed. 

God works in many different ways and through many different people to reach the lost. Celebrate what God has revealed to you. Share what you've learned with anyone who will listen. Seek out new ideas and perspectives. But don't be hatin' other churches and your brothers and sisters in Christ. There's no other word for it, and it's wrong.

Last year, a fellow blogger introduced me to an incredible musician, Mike Doughty. Though he wouldn't be classified as a Christian artist, his album, Haughty Melodic, is filled with introspective, thoughtful, and sometimes reverent lyrics. I listened to the song His Truth is Marching On constantly as I wrote The Blogging Church and it has since become a reminder of my place within His grand design. I like to think of it as A Blogger's Prayer:

Let me know your enormity and my tininess and
Help me see your infinity and my finiteness

When we look down, we take our eyes off of the God of the Universe and assume a position of arrogance. When we look up, His perspective will inform and impact our every thought and action and become our perspective.

Part 3 of 4 | Previous | Next

Afterword: Open Our Eyes

When we start blogging, our eyes are wide open and we eagerly seek out information anywhere we can find it. We're naturally curious in the same way as when we move into a new neighborhood, apartment complex, or dorm. We want to meet the guy next door or the friendly couple down the street. 

Sadly, this tends to be a temporary inclination. After a few months of learning and growing and seeking out new friends, we begin to turn inward. We become obsessed with our own voice and those who think like we do. Instead of looking for opportunities to connect with a lost world, we turn our backs and close our eyes.

We have to resist the temptation to make it all about us. Often it appears that our passions are simply new music, edgy movies and great reads. Why are our priorities nothing more than cool cell phones, reality television, and 24?  Sometimes we use our blogs to promote everything but God and his church.

Should a blog be personal? Of course! The honesty and openness of a blog is one of its defining characteristics. Have fun with your blog. Use it as an outlet to try out ideas, post pictures of a night out with friends or your daughter's birthday party, and tell stories. There doesn’t have to be a hidden agenda behind every thought or phrase. Your blog should reflect who you are, your priorities and your passions. 

What those are, though, may surprise you. An honest blog, like a well-placed mirror, can sometimes reveal things about ourselves that we'd rather not see. The time and energy that is poured into a blog can reflect misplaced priorities. The feedback and notoriety, the blogging spotlight, is hard to resist and you may find yourself pursuing traffic instead of people. The blog should never become an end in itself instead of a means to an end.

This message is meant for me as much as anyone. Every blogger struggles with the desire for notoriety and the slippery slope to self-importance. We like to present ourselves as something we really aren’t – a leadership guru or expert on all-things-church. If I'm not currently guilty of what I describe here, I have been in the past. 

A healthy blog, like a healthy church or ministry, reaches both the curious and the already convinced. It's a place where questions are asked, different viewpoints expressed and people are treated with respect. If a new program or ministry does not reach people or help people, it's not worth doing. The same is true for a blog. 

Don't let your eyes become closed to the people who desperately need to hear the Good News. Use your blog to reach out to others as you share your life, your struggles and triumphs, and everything that makes you who you are. Open your eyes and your heart to the people who God has placed within your sphere of influence so that His love can be revealed.

There is no blogging revolution without others. We are here for a reason, and that reason is to point people to the living savior. Our life should reflect that, and so should our blog.

Part 2 of 4 | Previous | Next

Afterword: Introduction

The first time I read a blog was in 2000. Since then, I've read thousands of posts and written 810 of my own. I've watched as blogs launched a presidential candidate and brought down a senator. I've seen companies changed, a voice given to the voiceless, people comforted in times of tragedy, and relationships formed that would have been impossible just a few years earlier.

And I've had a front-row seat as churches have joined the conversation.

In the past, the church often found itself on the sideline as new tools swept through our culture due to limited resources (human and otherwise) and an institutional resistance to change. This time, the local church is a (sometimes) willing participant in the revolution. Blogging is so simple and inexpensive that many churches, pastors, and staff members have made the leap into this brave new world and are experiencing the power of open and authentic communication.

Many of you are already part of the blogging revolution. You've joined the conversation and blogging has become part of who you are, so much so that you no longer see a distinction between your life and your online life. For you, asking whether the church should use blogs is like asking whether the church should use the telephone or the internet. You see the limitations of broadcast marketing and four color brochures and the potential of blogging.

The blogosphere is blessed with many innovative blogs written by pastors and people on the front lines of ministry. There are churches using blogs to reach and teach and share the life of the church.

Unfortunately, the status quo looks quite different. The reality is that many blogs written by people in ministry reflect little of the promise of blogging or who God has called us to be. These blog are often filled with their own unique combination of pettiness, self-promotion, negativity, derision, and the all-consuming pursuit of traffic.

Blogging isn't worth doing poorly or for the wrong reasons. It's too demanding and too distracting. In God's economy, we don't have the luxury of pouring ourselves into good things when he has so many great things for us. There is simply too much at stake.

It doesn't have to be this way. Christ-followers can be a light in this new world and help make the blogosphere a better place. We just need to open our eyes, look up and smile.

Part 1 of 4 | Next

21 reviews

The twenty-first review of The Blogging Church has been posted on Amazon! Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read the book and post your thoughts about it. I never dreamed the book would have more than 20 reviews a 5-star rating in less than 3 months. I really appreciate all of the feedback, kind words, and helpful criticism.

It's exciting to hear stories of how the book is being put into action by a wide variety of people and churches. In fact, I was recently contacted by a large church that was interested in purchasing copies for their entire staff!

If you or your church has a blogging story, feel free to post it or drop me a note. And if you don't have a copy yet, you can pick one up online.

The One Things That Weren't

As many of you know, the final chapter of the book features advice from 16 very different bloggers. I've received a lot of positive feedback on that chapter, particularly because of the diverse and decidedly super-cool people who participated (see the full list). I think the other reason is that it shows the incredible variety of perspectives on blogging and gives people permission to experiment since there really isn't just one way to blog.

Putting together a chapter like that is fun because you get to seek out interesting people, somewhat like dreaming up my ideal dinner party. I was amazed at some of the people who agreed to participate, which proves that it's always worth asking. There were a few other people from outside the church world I asked, many of the stupendously unlikely category, and I thought it would be fun to share them...

• Jason Fried (37signals)
• Peggy Noonan
• Malcolm Gladwell
• Steve Rubel
• Hugh Mcleod
• David Frum
• Mark Cuban
• David Sifry (Technorati)
• Andrew Sullivan
• Hugh Hewitt

Again, I had no expectation that these would be possible (especially at about 22 degrees of separation), but I did receive some kind replies.

The real question is, who do you wish had been part of The One Thing? What blogger (Christian or otherwise) would you have loved to have heard from?

New blog

Terry Storch has launched his new blog > visit TerryStorch.com.

TypePad Books Interview

The interview for the TypePad Books Podcast is now online. Harold did a great job editing our lengthy conversation into a much more accessible 20 minutes that still touches on a lot of different topics. Download the MP3 here.

And while you're there, subscribe to the podcast which features a lot of great interviews with authors smarter and more interesting than me!

3 Interviews

I had the pleasure of being interviewed for three podcasts over the past week. The first one was with DJ Chuang of Leadership Network. It was great talking to DJ after reading his blog for so long. You can listen to the interview here.

Next, I spoke with Jay Kelly with WiredParish, a Christian podcasting network. Jay really knows his stuff and fired a lot of great questions. I knew I had to do the interview when I learned that Jay is pursuing a PhD in philosophy (my college major) and when he referenced The Ramones in a post. How could I say no?

The final interview was with Harold Check of Six Apart for the TypePad Books Podcast. Each month, they interview one of the many book authors who use TypePad. I was honored to be chosen - recent podcasts have featured Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba, Seth Godin, and Chris Anderson. Harold is a great guy and it was a fun interview. I love when people outside of the church world get exposed to the book, not because it will help sales (which I doubt), but just so people might hear and think about church in a different way.

The TypePad and WiredParish interviews should be online later this week.

Blogging for Jesus

Just thought I would pass along a link to my favorite blogging pastor of late, Steven Furtick of Elevation Church in North Carolina. I first learned of Steven from Tadd Grandstaff, and then Steven came to C3 this weekend. If I had come across him earlier, I definitely would have included Steven in the book.

Elevation is just a year old and already reaching over 1,200 people each weekend. If you read his blog, you'll get an idea of why. Steven is 100% sold-out to Christ and the vision he's been given for Elevation. He is over-the-top passionate, funny and unwilling to be distracted from the only thing that matters - reaching the lost. I can't imagine how someone could read his blog for a week and not want to check out the church. The energy, joy, and honesty is infectious. And more than anything, Steven promotes Jesus, not himself.

Here are some of my favorite posts...

My notes (on C3)
Sexy
He scared the hell out of 'em
Water down the Gospel
Gotta pick a track to run on

Enjoy!

Book video now on YouTube and Google Video

The video is also on YouTube

Feel free to post, share, and otherwise pass it along.

Number Ten

Mike Goldsworthy posted his thoughts on the book yesterday:

This was a quick, easy book to read on blogging, that gave some basics and helped me to think through how to better use blogging. I’d highly recommend this to every pastor; and since I’ve read it, I’ve been encouraging several pastors I know to begin blogging and to get the book to figure out why and how. It’s an important tool for the church to use. This is a book I’ll reread when I’ve got some spare time, in order to really figure out how to be more effective with this. This book will be helpful if you’ve never blogged before, or if you’re a seasoned veteran.

Mike was kind enough to also post a review on Amazon, #10 in fact. If you had told me two months ago that there would be 10 5-star reviews on Amazon, I would never have believed it. God has truly blessed this whole process. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to post reviews and for your generous words!

I'm going to step back now and see where the book is going to go from here. I'll update the reviews page periodically and link to any big news, but spare you the daily box score and reports from the floor of the stock exchange. It's been a great launch, but I think we're all ready to talk about something else!

Second printing

I received word yesterday from Jossey-Bass that early next month, The Blogging Church will enter its second printing! Orders for the book have been very strong and the publisher has been impressed by the response so far.

Orders have been so good, in fact, that as of this morning, Amazon is officially out of stock. I know multiple distribution centers are expecting shipments soon, but you can order online from Barnes & Noble or Wal-Mart in the meantime. Both mainstream and Christian bookstores are beginning to stock the book as well, so you may find it in your own neighborhood.

Update: As of this evening, the book is back in stock on Amazon.

Church Relevance posted a kind review today. "It is the perfect book for church leaders who are wanting to learn how to use blogs to enhance their ministry but don’t know where to begin." Read the full review.

Two links

Two quick links from today about the book...

The eminently smart and entertaining Merlin Mann of 43 Folders posted his thoughts after receiving his copy. For what it's worth, 43 Folders is currently the 85th most popular blog in the world, as measured by Technorati. I'm honored that Merlin was one of the contributors to the book.

I enjoy Brian’s writing and think he has a sound grasp on what makes blogs work (or not). Good stuff, and red meat for anyone thinking of taking their church (or their business or their kittens) to the web. Link

The book is also featured on PastorResources.com, including an excerpt from the second chapter, Why Blog?

Search Inside

Big book news! Amazon has just added the Search Inside option to The Blogging Church. You can now view the table of contents, index, back cover, and a lengthy excerpt online.

This is surprising because I heard from the publisher that Amazon had a huge backlog of books waiting to be scanned and that it would be a few months before Search Inside was available. Check it out!

While you're there, take a look at some of the latest reviews that have been posted. I greatly appreciate everyone's kind words. My favorite line this week came from Paul Clifford: "There are few books that I'm genuinely sad to finish.  This is one." Thanks, Paul!

The book didn't quite break into Amazon's Top 100 last week, but it did make it all the way to  #148!

The book makes it to a store

Thanks to Robert Booth, I now have proof that The Blogging Church has landed in a real, physical bookstore! Robert snapped this photo at Border's in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and is the official winner of the recent book contest. A $20 Amazon gift certificate is waiting in his inbox. Robert was kind enough to buy this very copy, so hopefully the nationwide Border's inventory system is now showing a run on the book and is ordering replacement copies by the truckload. Enjoy, Robert!

Movers & Shakers

Amazon has a list of the Top 100 Movers & Shakers made up of the books that have had the biggest sales rank jump in the past 24 hours.

The Blogging Church recently hit #3 on the list! And the #1 book was featured on the Today show this morning, so that doesn't count :)

It's currently #6. Even better, the book broke through the #200 barrier and is now ranked #163 out of all books.

I promise not to bore you with box scores and inside baseball day after day! In exchange, I'm asking for just one small favor...

If you're planning on buying the book sometime soon, buy it today from Amazon. Or pick up a few copies if you're planning on sharing the book with your team or fellow staff members. It's extremely rare for a book to land in Amazon's Top 100 and this is likely the single best chance The Blogging Church will have to make its move. Let's see if we can make it happen!

Also, if you've already read your copy, posting your review on Amazon is also a huge help.

Thanks for your support of this project - it's greatly appreciated and is the main reason (other than God's grace) that it's been successful.

And one more thing, a gentleman in Pennsylvania has won the book photo contest! More on that soon.

205

Thanks to some timely promotion and viewers like you, the book reached an Amazon sales rank of #205 yesterday evening, nearly breaking the Top 200. In my wildest dreams, I never thought the book would reach that high. It was also #10 in Computers & Internet (take that World of Warcraft Strategy Guide!) and #31 in Religion & Spirituality. I don't expect it to remain quite so high for very long, so I thought I should document the occasion. Jossey-Bass also reported recently that the totals from the first two weeks were way beyond their expectations.  I couldn't be more blessed, and am so thankful to God for every part of this process. It's truly been a God-thing from beginning to end.

Since the sales rank numbers are updated hourly, I'm sure the book will quickly adjust to more reasonable level and I can return to thinking about more important things. Like the fact that Ben talked to a girl on the phone last night (o.k., it was about the Wii, but still). In the meantime, thanks for making the launch a success!

The video goes live

The great people at Leadership Network launched the promotion for The Blogging Church today with a video interview of Terry and I that gives a quick overview of blogging and the book. Mark Batterson even makes an appearance. Check it out.

The video was announced through an email promotion that you can view online, completely avoiding the risk of spam. Everything turned out very well and the team at Pursuant did an excellent job of pushing the video idea and pulling it all together.

The official press release and review copies are on their way as well. Knowing how much fun this part of the book process is certainly would've made some of those nights more enjoyable!

Last stop...Canada

The book made it's last stop on its journey and its first across the border. Jason Boucher, a pastor at Lifecentre in Ottawa, received his copy and had some kind things to say.

The biggest compliment I can give the book is that it helped me put language to what I have been doing without really knowing why. Language gives me both context and clarity, which are brilliant.

He also loved the Build a Better Blog chapter and the tip to spend a lot of time reading blogs before you start blogging. Here's the full post. Thanks, Jason!

And with that, the Blogging Church Journey comes to a close. I hope you've enjoyed each of these different perspectives on the book. Here's where it landed over the past two months: Perry Noble, Gary Lamb, Tadd Grandstaff, Tally Wilgis and Ben Arment. Thanks to everyone for being part of the journey!

Contest

The Blogging Church is easily available online, but it should theoretically start showing up in local bookstores. Christian bookstores are the more likely destination, but Borders and Barnes & Noble may be stocking a few copies as well.

I want proof.

As much as I love Amazon, there's just something different about seeing the book for sale in a physical bookstore.

The first person to send me a picture of The Blogging Church for sale in an actual bookstore will receive a $20 gift certificate - your choice of either Amazon or iTunes.

You are in no way obligated to actually buy the book, but you are not allowed to take your own copy into a bookstore, take a picture, and leave (you know who you are). And while you're asking around at your local bookstores, you might as well suggest that they carry the book if they don't already. It's always good to have a tiebreaker just in case.

Ready? Go!

Cool stuff coming

Many of you have posted kind words about The Blogging Church on Amazon or in blog posts. I really appreciate everyone who has purchased the book and taken the time to read it. I hope it has sparked ideas and that you've found it truly helpful. And more than anything else, I hope it's fun to read, whether you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing. One of the nicest comments I've heard was from a staff member of a church in California who read the book and loved it. Then his wife picked it up and enjoyed it as well. That makes me happy because I don't want the book to seem like it is written for a narrow audience of male geeks. Whether you are on staff at a church or a committed member, a longtime blogger or someone who generally avoids technology, male or female, I think you'll enjoy the journey of the book and gain a new perspective and loads of information along the way.

Here's the latest news...

The official press release is being finalized right now. Jossey-Bass will be sending the book and the release to a ton of media organizations, both religious and otherwise. I have no idea what the response will be, but it sounds cool!

Leadership Network is about to launch its campaign for the book, including a slick email and three minute promo video. I'll let you know when you can check it out.

Rick Scheibner just posted his review of the book. He shares his favorite chapter, least favorite chapter, and a lot more interesting feedback.

Eminently readable at 183 pages, this book explores the logistics and theories behind the art of blogging. Although it’s written with church communications in mind, there is plenty of information here for anybody who wishes to put blogging to work for them.

You can read the full review here.

Tony Morgan received his copy of the book last week. He hasn't read it yet, so for now you'll have to settle for some cool pictures and his review of the "beautiful blue cover."

I have a fun contest to announce. Details coming soon!

10 Steps to Writing a Better Book

Writing the book was a very long process filled with surprising twists, frustrating moments, and, periodically, a real rush of accomplishment. There were moments when I was sure I could write down 1,001 things I'd rather be doing and nights when I fell asleep thanking God for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Now that it's over, of course, many of the struggles are fading from memory and writing a book sounds like the greatest thing in the world. All I have to do to kill this feeling is mention it to Lori and Ben and see the look on their faces! They have much better memories than I do.

I don't know if or when I'll be blessed to write another book, but just in case, here's a list of what I would do differently the next time around. If you're facing a big writing project, you may find a helpful idea in here somewhere.

Top 10 Steps to Writing a Better Book

10. Get more exercise
I found myself always feeling the pressure of the next deadline and thinking I couldn't afford the time to exercise. Whenever I did, though, the obvious happened - I had more energy and a clearer mind, so I was actually more productive.

9. Allow time for editing and formatting
I wrote the book using a text editor, partly so I wouldn't spend hours messing with formatting. However, when it was finally time to turn in the final draft, I faced many, many hours of converting the document to Word and formatting all of the text to meet the publisher's specifications. And once you start this process, you naturally start editing at the same time because you're reading it in a totally different way.

The next time I would make sure I had at least one full week after I was done writing before it was time to turn in the draft.

8. Have a regular place to work
At first, I took advantage of having a laptop and wrote wherever I felt comfortable. I later learned the value of having a primary place the provides a focus and reminds you subconsciously that it's time to work.

Of course, a change of location now and then is still a good thing. During the last two months, it occurred to me that it might be fun to write at our local library. It wasn't completely free of distraction, but getting out of the house and knowing that my time there was limited helped me focus.

7. Schedule rewards at each milestone
I wish I had planned rewards for significant accomplishments during the writing process, instead of focusing on when the book was done. Breaking up the process into smaller victories (such as finishing a chapter or hitting a certain word count) would make the whole experience more fun.

6. Disable wireless for long stretches
Having wireless internet access throughout the house, at the library, and seemingly everywhere else means that endless distractions are never more than a click away. I would recommend turning off wireless internet access for a few hours and then rewarding yourself with a quick fix.

5. Write a small amount each day
My goal from the beginning was to write 200 words a day, which is a lot less than this post. Even that was often a struggle, though. I always felt a certain pressure to try to get every word perfect - a book is just so permanent. Blog posts are great writing practice, but I don't agonize over each word in the same way.

When I struggled, I would finally decide to skip a day, then another. Next thing you know, it's Saturday afternoon and you have to write 800+ words just to break even. It's much better to write something, anything, each day and leave the perfecting for later.

4. Set aside time for book busywork
I had no idea that there are so many parts to writing a book that have little to do with writing. There are contracts, marketing materials, photos, emails, book design, contributors, permission and release documents, research, interviews, blogging, formatting, and more. Next time, I would choose a day each week to focus on the side projects and take a break from writing. On other days, I would make it a habit to write first, then tackle everything else.

3. Develop one writing process and stick with it
I'm sure this was because it was my first time, but I invested a lot of energy into experimenting with different writing approaches and then transitioning from one to the other. I tried just about everything - outliner software, text editors, Word, and Writeboard. I created one complete file containing the entire book and then saved every chapter individually. I tracked my progress in a least three three different ways.

I think I've found the best system that works for me - a combination of a text editor (TextWrangler) and Backpack. iTunes was a big help in the end as well.

2. Print it out
I doubt many people need to be reminded to do this, but I actually didn't print out and edit any of the pages until the very end. I did all the writing and editing on the computer. Of course, when I did finally print it out, it was a revelation. I was able to see the text in a totally different way and find mistakes and areas for improvement much more easily.

The editing part was actually fun, so I wished I had printed out each chapter as it was finished and made editing part of the ongoing process.

1. Schedule regular getaways to write
After the first month of writing, Lori suggested that I pick a weekend and go stay in a hotel for a night or two to write. I was a bad combination of naive, arrogant and cheap because I consistently resisted that suggestion until the deadline was just one month away. I finally went to a local hotel and spent two days and nights just writing. It was easily the most enjoyable and productive 48 hours of the entire experience.

Writing at home during evenings and weekends is a huge challenge. You are surrounded by people you'd like to spend time with, things you wish you could do, and things that need to done. It's a formula for frustration.

Getting away gives you permission to be selfish with your time and gives your family permission to really enjoy the weekend without having to make sure the movie isn't too loud. You come home refreshed and with a lot of momentum heading into the week. Plus, you get to feel like one of those cool writers who goes off to a cabin or secluded resort to write. It's the best investment you can make.

After all, writing is a wonderful privilege that should be thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated.

The book visits Ben

The book made a stop at the home of Ben Arment, talented blogger and pastor of History Church in Virginia. I'm a big fan of Ben for three reasons. First, he shares the name of the greatest 11-year old in the world. Second, he loves U2 as much as I do. And third, he's a political junkie of the "Journeys with George was good, but The War Room will always be my favorite"-type.

Ben actually is one of the contributors to the book, so you never know how that might cloud someone's judgment. Here's an excerpt of what he had to say [emphasis entirely his own]:

I literally read this book in one hour. I've never read a book that fast in my life, but it was really well written and covered the scope of blogging without dragging. I'm a bit beyond the blogging primers, which are in abundance at bookstores, so it was nice to read one that didn't walk me through setting up a Typepad account.

Brian knows his stuff, and it was great to read about his connections with some of the top tech bloggers in the nation. [Brian is an extremely likeable guy on his blog; someone I'd love to have dinner with.] Innovators in the church world are drawing the attention of innovators in the marketplace. This book documents it.

I'm glad the book is an easy read and all, but the thought that I took a year to write what someone read in an hour is a little disconcerting :)

Ben goes on to make a great point that the book could have been called "The Blogging Pastor" since there are very few successful church or team blogs. He's right about that - the best blogs are almost always the voice of a single person. This is a good time to mention that my preferred title was Blogging Church, without "The". I liked how "blogging" could serve as both an adjective and a verb in that phrase, and I especially liked the verb version. The publisher  didn't insist on much, but they were adamant about the "the". They thought the other way was confusing. In case anyone is interested or is working on a new and improved version of this book, the working title was "The Miracle of Blogging".

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts, Ben. I'm up for dinner anytime!

The first video journey

The Blogging Church has made its way to Virginia, the home of one my favorite bloggers, church planter Tally Wilgis. Tally not only posted an incredibly generous review and the requisite photo, but took it to the next level by providing the first video review! Major bonus points for Tally. Here's an excerpt:

Brian and Terry run the gammot on tools and tricks as well as providing great insight in how not to use a blog. One of the benefits to this book is that it takes into consideration the end users and their varied levels of experience. I can't say enough about how effective they combine basic information with stories of application, inspiration and any other 'tion' you can think of.

The novice will be given enough information to drown them if they try to absorb it at one sitting. The experienced blogger will gain a new perspective on just how influential their slice of the internet experience could be when used properly.

Check out the full post and video here.

Also, in the process of recording an audio endorsement for the book to be used in a future Leadership Network promotion, Blogging King Mark Batterson had some nice things to say about The Blogging Church. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this as Mark is a very busy man - he writes more in a year (books, articles, posts, sermons) than most of us read!

Just read my advance copy of the blogging church and I loved it. Great combination of practical and inspirational. Highly recommend it for beginning bloggers and blogging veterans!

Thanks, Mark!

Order from Amazon.com

In stock at Amazon!

It looks like Monday, January 15th is the official release date of the book - The Blogging Church is now in stock at Amazon.com! Anyone who pre-ordered the book should be receiving it shorly. Those of you who were waiting patiently for the Add to Shopping Cart button, your moment has arrived.

Plus, you now have the chance to post your own review. The Amazon reviews for the book are live - your feedback is greatly appreciated! Jim Minatel has posted a review on Amazon and his blog. He provided a goldmine of perspective, criticism and praise.

In the final analysis, it's a great book, one I'm proud to recommend to anyone involved in the ministry especially the 2 pastors at our church I'm sharing it with.

I'm so glad he enjoyed what was my favorite chapter to write, "Build a Really Bad Blog". His thoughts on what is a missing piece of the book are so well said I want to share them here. The book focuses on the role blogs can play in the church when written by staff members or key leaders/volunteers. What it fails to address significantly is the impact of members and attendees blogging. Jim's reasons are:

One, I think the book might have reached an even broader audience by explicitly addressing the when and how of church member blogs. Two, there are more members than staff. Members can put a real face on their spirituality, frailty, humanness through their blogs, things that Brian and Terry point out can help the unchurched be attracted to a church. And as Terry and Brian point out, church staff are already frequently overloaded to the point that regular care and feeding of a blog may just not make their mission priority list. And finally, if you attend a church that encourages you to evangelize the gospel, invite new members, spread the good news, blogging is a great way to do that.

I think he's right. The book would be better and appeal to a wider audience if it addressed this topic as well. I honestly don't know that I have enough insight to offer on that subject yet, but it would certainly be worth exploring. Read Jim's full review here and then go write your own on Amazon!

In our hands

The final release of the book is in my hands! It arrived late Friday.

The book contract sets aside copies of the book for the authors. Lori called me late in the afternoon to tell me that 2 boxes from Wiley Publishing had just been delivered. When I got home, we shared a fun family moment as we opened the first box and each grabbed a copy. My 11-year old son, Ben, was kind enough to read a chapter tonight, but he refuses to post a review until he reads the whole thing :)

I have to say, I'm immensely pleased. Wiley and Jossey-Bass did a fantastic job assembling the final version. The galleys did not prepare me for how nice the release would be. A simple example is the back cover, which was just plain text in the galley version. The new and improved back cover and spine really tie the whole look together. The final size and paper are just a touch different, but great improvements as well. And most importantly, the content incorporates the last two rounds of edits and is much more pleasant to read because of it.

If it's in our hands, that means it's only a matter of time before it's in yours. I look forward to hearing your feedback and reading through the first reviews!

Having the finished book arrived immediately made me think about how this process began. Through the greatness of Gmail, I quickly found the original, innocent email that started it all.

It was from Naked Conversations co-author Shel Israel, who had just posted an interview with me on his book blog.

"My acquisitions editor—Jim Minatel at Wiley would like to talk with you about a book idea he has."  That was on April  20, 2005. I never could have imagined the implications of that simple sentence, and that nearly two years later there would be a completed book. Thanks once again to Shel, Scoble and Jim for making this possible! 

$14 SHIPPED

If you can trust the super-powerful, super-expensive inventory system of the world's largest retailer, then it appears that The Blogging Church is in stock for the first time anywhere! It's available from WalMart.com for $14 ($13.03 + just $0.97 shipping).   

I think "In Stock" are my favorite two words after "I Do" :)

A bit more searching reveals that Barnes & Noble also shows the book to be in stock, though at $17.95 before shipping and taxes, it's not exactly priced to move.

Since the book is available a full 2 weeks before the official publication date, Amazon will hopefully be shipping copies to everyone who pre-ordered shortly.

Thanks for your patience throughout the endless updates and commercials. I can't wait to hear and read your feedback once it's finally in your hands!

Book contributors

Many terrific people are featured in The Blogging Church. Here's a quick update on what some of them are up to:

Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv, will be speaking at this year's Creative Church Conference at Fellowship Church. Another contributor, Mark Driscoll, will also be speaking. Ed Young, T.D. Jakes, and Dr. Ed Young are headlining this incredible conference. Learn more here.

Shel Israel, co-author of Naked Conversations, is already pushing forward with his next book, Global Neighborhoods. It sounds like a fascinating project. Once again, he's doing it all online and out in the open - check out the overview here.

Ben McConnell has published Citizen Marketers: When People are the Message, his follow-up (with co-author Jackie Huba) to Creating Customer Evangelists.

Free to a good home

Galley copies of The Blogging Church are on their way to the following fine individuals! Thank you to everyone who expressed an interest - it was a huge challenge to narrow the list to just five.

Joe

Jonathan Everette

Blair Farley

Jon Sampson

Paul Clifford

The contest did confirm one of my suspicions: the majority of my readers are blogging Christians. On the surface this sounds like a good (and obvious) thing, but it strikes me as a significant failure. Though Christians learning from and growing with one another is a terrific thing, and something that has been made far easier by blogging, my sense is that the Christian blogosphere is becoming insular, this blog included. I never want to have a blog that speaks only to the already convinced. Our natural instinct is to turn inward in everything we do, and a blog is no different.

Join the Journey

I have five galley copies of The Blogging Church that I would love to give away. Technically these are the "uncorrected proofs" (the final version is a bit more polished), but they're largely identical. Here's how to get one.

I have one copy for each of five different people - if you match one of these profiles and want one, just post a comment or send me an email with how you qualify and one sentence on why you want a copy. I'll choose the five people Monday night and announce them soon after. No need to provide your address until the chosen few have been chosen. The book comes with just a single, short, string attached - you agree to write a post or Amazon.com review on the book by February 5th. Just share what you think whether you hate it, love it, or anything in-between.

Here are the five people:

1. You have never written a blog post or had a blog of your own
2. You have been blogging for more than a year
3. You are a church planter at a church that is less than a year old
4. You are on staff at a church with more than 2,000 people attending each weekend
5. You are not a Christ-follower or involved at a church, but still want to check it out

The contest begins now!

Just yesterday we got word that the finished book has arrived in the Wiley Publishing warehouse! Copies will start shipping in just two weeks! You can still pre-order from Amazon.

Next stop on the book tour

The Blogging Church made the trip from Perry Noble to Canton, Georgia - the home of the one-and-only Gary Lamb. Gary was kind enough to provide the required picture of him and the book. You'll just have to see it to believe it.

Here's an excerpt:

The book is a easy read and it covers all the bases in regards to blogging and how to do it. It has some great examples of how networking and relationships can happen through blogging. It also gives some great stuff to think about in regards to how churches can better use blogs to communicate to their people. Some of the ideas we will be thinking of using here at The Stone.

If you are looking for a way to start blogging and want to know how then this book is a must have. If have have the blogging thing figured out, it will still give you some great ideas and also point out some great blogs to you.

Read the full post here, but don't miss his follow-up where he talks about how blog can connect people with completely opposite beliefs. Thanks, Gary!

The One Thing

The Blogging Church concludes with a chapter called, The One Thing. It may be my favorite part of the book, which is funny because I wrote less of it than any other chapter.

Here's the premise: I contacted some of my favorite bloggers and asked them to share the one piece of advice they would give another blogger. The result is 16 contributions from a diverse group of bloggers, from the man largely responsible for the blogging revolution to authors to church planters. There are believer and unbelievers, liberals and conservatives, A-Listers and, well, the rest of us.

The responses were as varied as the people themselves. Of course, very few could limit themselves to just one thing, so the contributions are packed with clever ideas and interesting perspectives. And just like the blogosphere, not all of them agree.

Each of these people was incredibly generous to contribute to the book and I can't thank them enough. Check out this list of top-flight bloggers and first-class people, visit their sites, and subscribe for a few weeks if you don't already. I've been reading some of these blogs for more than five years and through them learned most of what I know about blogging, and thankfully, a few other things as well.

1. Guy Kawasaki | subscribe
One-time Macintosh evangelist, author, and start-up guru

2. Kathy Sierra | subscribe
Creating Passionate Users

3. Robert Scoble | subscribe
One-time Microsoft blogger, now with PodTech

4. Dave Winer | subscribe
Scripting News, developer of RSS, blogging and podcasting evangelist

5. Shel Israel | subscribe
Co-author of the corporate blogging book, Naked Conversations

6. David Weinberger | subscribe
Author of Small Pieces Loosely Joined and co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto

7. Julie Leung | subscribe
Storyteller and homeschooling mother of three

8. Ben McConnell | subscribe
Co-author of Creating Customer Evangelists

9. Kem Meyer | subscribe
Communications Director of Granger Community Church

10. Gary Lamb | subscribe
Pastor of Ridge Stone Church

11. Jeremy Wright | subscribe
President of b5media

12. Ben Arment | subscribe
Pastor of History Church

13. Merlin Mann | subscribe
43 Folders

14. Josh Williams | subscribe
Firewheel Design

15. Andrew Jones | subscribe
TallSkinnyKiwi

16. Scott Hodge | subscribe
Pastor of Orchard Valley Community Church

I would never want to rank these, but I should state for the record that one contribution was indeed my favorite. When I read Julie Leung's piece for the first time, I immediately knew that it would be the last word and it is. I couldn't imagine a better way to end the book.

The first copies will ship in just six weeks! You can pre-order from Amazon.

The Blogging Church Journey

Terry and I want to thank all of you who have been a huge part of the Blogging Church journey which began 15 months ago - through interviews, questions, feedback, comments, and encouragement. Now that the book release is just two months away (we received confirmation that pre-orders will ship on January 12), it's time for the next phase on this long, strange trip!

Two weeks ago, we received copies of the book galleys, or "Advance Uncorrected Proof" as they like to call it. The galleys are the last step before the release - you actually get to see the book as it will be in the final version. When the book is a hardcover, the galleys are substantially different, but since The Blogging Church is an affordable paperback, the galleys are very close to the real deal.

It was a thrill to hold the book at last. It's a great size and weight - it begs to be thrown in a bag for a long flight or a trip to the coffee shop. With its wide margins, it just looks like a book to be used - marked up, highlighted, and a few Post-It notes dangling from the pages.

The index isn't there yet, the last round of edits haven't been incorporated, and some of the design is still being finalized, but it's a real book at last!

And it's a book on the move - we're sending the book on a journey across the country! We've chosen one of our favorite bloggers to kick this off. On Monday, he'll receive the galleys, read as much as he likes, sign it, take a photo with the book and post it, then send it on to the blogger of his choice. Of course, we'll track the book's progress right here.

We had to start the journey right here in Texas. Here's the first picture - me, Terry, and the book!

The new home for BloggingChurch.com

The transition to the new site for The Blogging Church is nearly complete! If the result looks suspiciously like LeaveItBehind.com, that's because it is exactly that.

The site for The Blogging Church and my blog have merged to become a powerful new conglomerate offering incredible synergy for each of its formerly divergent, market-leading ventures!

"So basically, there were two sites before and now there's one?"

Well, yeah, that about sums it up.

The book blog has been archived and all of that content is still available here, along with Terry's great podcasts. I've added links to the BloggingChurch.com content on the sidebar of this site, including the most recent additions, What People Are Saying and the list of Blogging Pastors and Churches.

One site and one feed for updates on the book, thoughts on blogging in the church, and an eclectic collection of bonus content. Terry and I are working on some fun ideas for the book as it nears publication and a few more improvements are coming to this site. So make yourselves at home, say hello to the people around you, and join the conversation when you have something to say!

For those of you who have been kind enough to promote The Blogging Church on your sites through slick marketing graphics, thank you! The images and links still work perfectly well. Look for a fresh set of graphics and site badges in the near future.