According to Lynne M. Baab,

"everything about a church communicates something."

When I read this, I immediately began asking myself,

"What are the different things my congregation is saying? Do the messages contradict each other? Are they theologically sound? What can we do to make sure we're communicating in the most effective ways?"

Fortunately, Baab's newest book answered all of these questions and more. Covering everything from iPods, blogs, and Facebook to fonts, graphics, and PowerPoint, Baab skillfully guided me through the maze of how to utilize new technology in order to effectively and ethically communicate a church's identity and values.

Although marketing isn't a word I'm totally comfortable with, Baab defines it in such a way that makes it accessible to Christians:

"reaching out with the purpose of making known that a congregation welcomes new people."

She also includes several helpful tools to help increase your church's outreach:

• a sample communication audit,
• a website plan,
• many examples of creative ideas from other congregations,

and each chapter ends with questions for reflection, journaling and discussion, making the book useful not only for individual study, but for group study with staff, committees, and boards as well.

The challenges facing churches as they try to adapt to swift changes in communication media can seem insurmountable. But whether your congregation is computer savvy or technologically challenged, I found this book a crucial read if you're a church leader who wants to stay relevant and faithful in reaching out to a networked world.