It’s been three weeks since my last post …

But y’know, I don’t like posting just for the sake of posting. I hope you can appreciate in me what I desire in other bloggers: value. I’m not looking for any more ways to get bogged down or clogged up. Give me something … some insight, some finding, some inspiration, some advice, some direction, some shared experience, a great story, a golden nugget … something useful I can use.

And give it to me fast. Please don’t drone on and on and on making me wade through endlessly bloated paragraphs filled with run-ons and misspellings. I love you, but please show a little respect and courtesy. Your “rants,” “ramblings,” and “whatevers” are incessantly uninteresting.

While I’m at it, isn’t that what we are in church communications/ministry marketing (CC/MM) to do? Both our current church members and first-time guests are wanting exactly that of us. While our pastors are tirelessly working to deliver engaging worship experiences, timely and relevant messages, inspiring and challenging environments, it’s our responsibility to skillfully manage the chaos, make sense of it all, minimize the clutter, maximize the impact, and communicate the message of the church effectively.

Forgive me bloggers … but our greatest value is not in the noise we add to the mix – more good design, more pretty paper, or bigger, flashier websites. Ironically, it is in what we strategically and intentionally remove from the noise. Shave it down, clean it up, relentlessly simplify, and ruthlessly exclude. Make it simple. Make it clear. Make it rock.

Listen closely to your congregation and first-time visitors. Listen closely and you’ll hear them say:

I’m not looking for any more ways to get bogged down or clogged up. Give me something of value … some insight, some finding, some inspiration, some advice, some direction, some shared experience, a great story, a golden nugget … something useful I can use.

And give it to me fast. Please don’t drone on and on and on making me wade through endlessly bloated paragraphs filled with run-ons and misspellings. I love you, but please show a little respect and courtesy. Your “rants,” “ramblings,” and “whatevers” are incessantly uninteresting.

We have the most important message anyone will ever hear. Too many people out there are living without Him … without a life of meaning, purpose, and mission because of a missing relationship with Jesus Christ. The stakes are too high and the cost is too great to coast through this sacred calling half-asleep.

“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to Him it is sin.”  – James 4:17

Please share you thoughts and join me in the pursuit of value. Comment here. Share a story, share your convictions, or simply say, “Count me in.”