5 Blogging Questions with Dan Ohlerking

[ Read all the previous posts in the Blogging 101 for Pastors series, including 5 Questions responders. ]

Dan Ohlerking is a staff member at the Healing Place in Louisiana. He blogs at The Pursuit. I initially heard about Dan because I profiled his pastor’s blog site (incredible design) for my Rockin’ Cool Church Web Sites series.

Here’s his answers:

1. Why (or how) did you start blogging?

Just because. Okay, I know that’s not much of an answer. I guess I just liked the idea – I’ve done a fair amount of writing but I cringe sometimes at the formality that often is required when writing “official” stuff so I love the fact that there’s no rules in blogging. Spell it right or wrong – who cares? Grammar just doesn’t count – you can be casual as much as you want. Just make it conversational – long or short sentences – all hyphens – no periods – who cares? And I like that I can meet like-minded people easily and develop relationships with them that allow us to share thoughts on ministry, misisons, family, etc.

2. What subject do you post most about?

Me. Again, I know that’s not what you’re looking for here, but it’s true. I post about stuff I think about. Missions, my church, my family, my thoughts on stuff, etc. it’s about me. if it wasn’t about me, then why do it? If I’m doing a blog about Cory Miller, then why shouldn’t I just not, and tell everyone to go to cory miller’s site – he’ll talk about himself there. Dang. That’s what blogging is built on – talking about yourself, right. That sounds arrogant, but … really it’s not. I guess it could be … I hope it’s not in my case at least.

3. What are your favorite blog tools?

Just my mac. I love my mac. Firefox for browsing. Not a big fan of Blogger except that it’s so dang easy to get someone else started with their own blog with blogger. I use netvibes to read, but I think I’m extending its intended use a bit. I try to keep up with about 200 blogs and sometimes that bogs down my netvibes deal waiting for it to read ahead for me. But I’m basically too busy to find better tools that could make me less busy. Such a perilous dilemma. A vicious cycle.

4. How often do you post?

Well, until a by-far-the-longest-lapse-ever gap over the past 3 weeks, I’ve averaged about 2 every 3 days for over a year. I’m currently working on allocating a couple hours to unleash a flurry of posts from a recent trip to Africa and pics and some family video, etc.

5. What one piece of advice would you give for prospective blogging pastors?

Don’t let your blog own you. It is a tool for you to use, not vice versa. Step back and dream about what a blog could be in your situation to help you communicate. Think about that without any preconceived notions of what a blog “has to be” - there are NO RULES for that. It is a tool that if you identify how to use that tool for your benefit, it can be tremendously beneficial. But if you don’t define that use/target it will either end up not being used, or it will end up overrunning something else in your life and you’ll regret you ever started it. The potential is staggering for how many ways a blog can help you as a pastor. Find yours and you’ve got a great thing.

[ Read all the previous posts in the Blogging 101 for Pastors series ]

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October 26, 2006 · Filed Under Church Marketing

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