book excerpt
Reaching Out in a Networked World
by Lynne M. Baab
Alban Institute, to be released August 2008

For three years, while earning a PhD, I sat in classes focused on communication issues, read countless books and articles, and pondered the role of new communication technologies for people of faith. So often I found myself wishing I could pass on what I learned to people who are engaged in the noble task of shepherding congregations.

Some people are so uneasy and unsure when dealing with the numerous new digital forms of communication, and I wished I could give them simple explanations of why they don’t have to be afraid and explain for them the opportunities these new tools present. Other people fearlessly use new forms of communication, but they might not have thought a lot about how faith can be nurtured and communities developed through wise use of these tools. So I wanted to write a book for those two audiences.
           
In addition, it seemed obvious to me during my years as a graduate student that so many congregations convey things about themselves that simply aren’t accurate because they haven’t had the opportunity to think through the best ways to use all the new means of communication. Their values aren’t expressed clearly and their identities remain hidden because communities of faith simply don’t have enough experience using new communication tools to be able to use them wisely.

I wanted to help leaders express the heart and soul of their congregation with more precision, flair, and consistency.

The way congregations communicate their values and identity has become a vitally important concern in our time. This has come about for two reasons. The first reason relates to the recent explosion in communication technologies—e-mail, websites, blogs, podcasts, brochures created with desktop publishing software, social networking websites, projection screens in worship, digital cameras, and many more—which offer a host of new ways to present values and identity.      

Because of the lack of experience with new forms of communication, many congregations that have websites and brochures don’t know how to present a coherent picture of who they are and what they care about. The website, newsletter, and worship bulletin often portray different pictures of the central aspects of the congregation’s character, and those pictures may conflict with the message that is communicated by the worship services and ministries of the congregation. Congregations are composed of diverse people with a variety of priorities, and this diversity needs to be expressed. However, each congregation should have a central focus, which is often lacking in the smorgasbord of communication options now available.

A second reason why congregational values and identity are significant in our time comes from societal shifts. Communities of faith are no longer central to the communal life of towns, cities, or rural areas. People no longer feel loyal to the religious institutions of their childhood. In order to provide a coherent and welcoming invitation to the wider community, congregations must be clear about what they value and how they act on those values. And in order to help congregation members grow in their participation in the life of faith, the congregation’s leaders need to be persistent in using every possible means of communication about the things that really matter to the congregation.

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