Gospel.com Blog

James Watkins turns ten today! Well, James isn’t turning ten, but his website, JamesWatkins.com, is celebrating its tenth straight year of publishing Jim’s often amusing, always insightful commentary. This week, he’s talking about the latest news and cultural developments–he offers his thoughts on the Imus scandal, on the roots of the violence currently plaguing Iraq, and the Duke Lacrosse team controversy. If you’re not acquainted with Jim’s unique take on current events, stop by and see what he has to say!

GetReligion.org has a new look! The GetReligion team has been talking about religion and the media for three years now, and in that time have made their group blog one of the top journalism blogs on the web. Recent posts have talked about journalists’ treatment of Rapture theology, efforts to reinvigorate Christian radio, and more. Stop by and check out the new design–and if the subject of the media and its treatment of religion interests you, consider giving it a place in your newsreader.

Educators and parents: looking for a place to discuss current ideas about teaching and nurturing children? Dan Beerens of Christian Schools International writes a blog, Nurturing Faith, at which he tackles concerns, issues, and ideas about raising kids today, with a focus on their personal and spiritual development as well as their academic success.

Recent posts have covered topics ranging from cultivating your students’ gifts to accelerated physiological and psychological development in young people today. If you’re an educator or a parent with a special interest in Christian education, bookmark Nurturing Faith–and add a comment or two to a post that catches your eye and makes you think!

What are we to make of the Da Vinci Code controversy? Has the church responded to the issue wisely and effectively, or are there lessons to be learned from this about how to best engage cultural phenomena?

The ThinkChristian blog has just posted an audio interview with Mike Gunn, author of the new book The Da Vinci Code Adventure, about the DVC phenomenon and how Christians should engage cultural events. Whatever your take on the DVC craze, stop by and tune in for a different take on the book, the movie, and the hype.

It seems that everybody is blogging these days–so it should come as no surprise that the Bible is the subject of a blog as well! The publishers of the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible have set up the ESV Blog to offer news and commentary on the ESV and the process of Bible translation in general.

The blog’s been up and running for almost a year now, so there’s plenty of material to read there. You might start with this recent post on the trials of hand-copying Greek Bible texts (hey, that’s the way ancient scribes did it!), or this older piece about defining “archaic” and “obsolete” language (who hasn’t been tripped up at some point by an obscure vocabulary word in their Bible?) All in all, it looks like a great blog to add to your bookmarks or feed reader.

A quick look around the internet will reveal that there is no shortage of Christian blogs. Christian ministries and individuals alike are using blogs and podcasts to talk about faith, theology, and everyday life. Perhaps you are a Christian who blogs. But how many Christian blogs are genuinely accessible to non-Christians… and how many are just “preaching to the choir”?

The Internet Evangelism Day website has an excellent article about using blogs for evangelism. Creating an evangelistic blog is not as easy as simply starting up a blog and talking about theology–it requires a careful consideration of the benefits and weaknesses of blogging as an evangelistic medium, and an appreciation for the perspective of non-Christians who might be visiting the blog.

The article covers all of the basics of evangelistic blogging, from understanding the dynamic nature of blogs to avoiding “Christian-speak” that will confuse visitors. If you or your ministry are looking to use blogs, podcasting, or other related tools for evangelism, this one is worth bookmarking.

You may already be familiar with WaYfm, a Christian music station that broadcasts online. They’ve just added a new way you can connect with the station’s DJs–through their blogs! Check out the list of new DJ blogs and stay caught up with your favorite DJs even when they’re off the air.

Christian Computing Magazine has a nice short article that talks about blogging and how you can put it to use in internet ministry [PDF]. From the article:

Blogging is Internet-based journaling that can be seen by a world wide audience and while not invented specifically for pastors, small group leaders or student ministers, it is one of the best communication forums I’ve seen in a long time for church leaders.

The piece is written primarily for people who aren’t familiar with blogging, and includes a nice overview of the process, from setting up your blog to becoming a good blogger.

What’s going on in the Arab world today, and what does it mean for Christianity? Arab World Ministries has set up a new blog/news site called Around the Well at which to discuss Christianity, Islam, and the Arab world.