This summer I have a goal that I will reboot the focus of this blog in hopes of collecting some data for some little experiments I’ve been working on. In the process of doing so I may even bring value and encouragement to those who read it as well. This shift comes due to a couple of projects converging at points of web development, a personal desire to write a little bit more and an odd form of accountability throughout the summer of my personal faith growth. Plus, who doesn’t need another thing to do over the hot parts of the year? Some of the goals of the reboot:
- The geek: There are a couple of projects that I am working on that have required me to know how to do better SEO (search engine optimization) for some of the sites that I am an admin for. Thus, I’m going to use my personal blog as a bit of a playground to see if the efforts that I am getting to know are bearing fruit. The books that I have read and videos I have watched say that the amount of time to see a difference in traffic is a number of weeks. So I thought that the summer would be a great amount of time for the experiment.
- The Personal: During the season of lent I challenged my church to do a “Spiritual fitness challenge” and commit to daily time in the christian disciplines, setting aside things that they don’t need in their lives, and taking on something that will do good. Each week I would send an email to the group participating in the challenge to check in about their spiritual health (this was similar to a virtual covenant group for those coming out of the wesleyan traditions). This was a great practice for me in knowing others were counting on my update and would hold me accountable. In posting the practices I am engaging in and how I did each week I think I will get the same kind of accountability from this space. This exercise may also encourage some good conversation.
- The Call: A final reason that I am going to give this “reboot” a shot is that a major call in my life is to connect with those who have been hurt by the church and invite them into giving God/Church another shot. My hope is that this blog would be a place where I can write/reflect on the practical ways I see God at work throughout the everyday (read, non pastor-ish) interactions and ups and downs of being someone who follows Jesus.
During the reboot I hope to be more faithful in the blogging, build an audience and clarify my voice (whatever that means). I am not sure what the next little while will bring, but I know that this summer is going to be jam packed with awesome opportunity to encounter and share about what God has been up to. The family is going to be going on a family mission trip, spending a week at summer camp, participating in a number of community activities and by and large just having some great time getting sunburn. So with this let the reboot begin.
