FaithONCampus.com is not a central part of my ministry with students.

Yes, it informs my work in a number of ways, but it is not geared towards students — it’s geared towards people who walk with college students, and invest in them on a consistent basis.

But it’s been through my work here that I’ve become increasingly convinced that I needed to add a second blog to my online work — one that is geared towards college students, and specific to the Belmont community.

We’ve been at it for over a year now — and we’re still working to find a good rhythm, as well as content that draws students in — but I’m thoroughly convinced that having a blog is a MUST for ministry with this generation of college students!

So here are 4 reasons why you should consider adding a blog to your current ministry to students:

1. It’s a way to have a pastoral e-presence — Blogging is a way for those of us who have been called to serve as pastors, ministers, leaders, et al to have a more intentional presence in the online world. It can be easy to drift around Facebook, Twitter, etc., without much intention — participating by sharing our own random thoughts, dinner plans, pictures of cool (or gross) things we’ve just seen, etc. Blogging can provide a way for us to go online and create some more meaningful content to engage others in. A blog tends to communicate a different level of seriousness and thoughtfulness around topics of conversation that we’d like to engage students in — compared to simply tweeting or posting a Facebook status (not that there’s anything wrong with either).

2. It’s a way for people to get to know us, and our ministry, from a distance (which is often preferred by the curious student) — As we blog (and share it on different social networking sites) we provide students (and others) the chance to “get to know” what we’re all about. They get a chance to “hear” our hearts, gain insight into our passions and purpose. They get to read about the things that we (and any other contributors to the blog) see God doing within the ministry, around campus and around the world. This can help readers to feel more comfortable and/or confident in choosing to engage us and/or participate in the ministries we’re a part of.

3. It’s a way to continue conversations that were started in other settings — Ever wish you could follow-up with a thought that was shared in a worship experience or small group, before coming back together a week later? Or maybe help students who had a meaningful service experience further unpack and process what God was really up to in that place, without bringing them back together? Blogging can provide a space for us to continue conversations — in a medium that makes it convenient for most everyone — and through posts and comments can generate an ongoing dialog that helps to further the learning and shaping process.

4. It can serve as an entry way into other ministry activities — Finally, blogging has the potential to serve as an entry way into other areas of ministry. Aside from giving readers the chance to “hear what we think,” we have the potential to point them towards other opportunities. Whether it’s through links in our posts, or strategically utilizing the sidebar of our blog, we can point readers towards upcoming events, different ways to get involved, or contact information that can put them in touch with us or other leaders within our ministry.

Given the ever-changing and technologically mesmerized nature of our culture, blogging seems like a  medium well-worth our consideration for further reaching the people who God has called us to serve.

This list is by no means exhaustive… So,

> What would you add to this list? What benefits do you see (or have you experienced) from adding a blog to your current ministry efforts?
> If you don’t currently blog, or have a blog associated with you ministry, what questions do you have? What do you find holding you back?

Take a moment to share your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks!