Why are we including interviews with church representatives in a book about business blogging? Because they use word-of-mouth marketing to reach ever-expanding circles of people and because like any other business, they need to grow and prosper and, like other businesses they are using new technology to effectively reach "customers" and prospects. The Fellowship Church is among the five largest independent churches in America and is definitely evangelical. But Brian Bailey's Leave it Behind blog is not really evangelical in content. Bailey is Fellowship Church's Internet Manager. His blog reveals the heart and enthusiasm of a geek with a kindred spirit to Scoble who recently was his roomie for a night:
(1) What is your position with Fellowship Church? What did you do previously?
I serve as the Internet Manager. I am responsible for the direction and development of our four websites.
(2) How would you describe Fellowship Church in general terms?
Fellowship Church is known for its relentless efforts to serve seekers and build believers. The church is committed to presenting the life-changing message of Jesus Christ in a creative and compelling way. Our goal is to use every tool possible, including technology, to meet each person where they are. Fellowship is an intense, challenging, and infinitely creative organization that never loses sight of what is at stake.Fellowship Church began in 1990 and currently reaches nearly 20,000 people each weekend on its four campuses in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
(3) What is the meaning of the blog name—"Leave it Behind"?
The phrase comes from the U2 song, "Walk On," and symbolizes two things. First, the spirit of the song - letting go of everything in the here and now, all of our struggles and inadequacies and clinging to the eternal. Second, it describes so simply what I am doing on the site as I share my thoughts, perspectives, and experiences.
(4) What made you decide to start a blog? What was the decision-making process in the church?
I had been following weblogs primarily through Dave Winer since 2001 and had experimented with a number of different sites over the years. In early 2002, I presented an idea for implementing weblogs internally as a knowledge sharing tool, but the business justification (or return on ministry) wasn't yet clear. In August 2003, I was interviewed for a Dallas Morning News article on the role of blogs in churches. Off the record, the reporter was curious why a large church known for its creative use of technology did not utilize weblogs.
So, at the beginning of 2004, I decided it was time to stop talking about weblogs and experimenting with weblogs and start writing a weblog. The only way to prove the value of a weblog and see what the true impact would be was to dive in. Leave It Behind went public on April 1, 2004 and there has been at least one post each day ever since. The site was mine personally. I did not initially discuss the church. I didn’t ask permission before launch. After I had proven that I enjoyed it and could be consistent, I began to share the site with friends, co-workers, and my manager, Terry Storch, who is on Fellowship's executive team. Terry liked the site, and encouraged me to write more about the ministry. Soon after, he started a site of his own. There are now nearly 15 staff members who have weblogs and the number is growing rapidly. We will soon be launching weblogs on two of our sites, in addition to numerous RSS feeds, and team blogs that will allow our staff to communicate in the open.
(5) You seem to discuss church and religion very little. What is the purpose of the blog?
I started Leave It Behind because I love to write and wanted the challenge of producing something on a regular basis. I enjoy sharing new ideas and different views on things and getting feedback. I honestly don't see the site as an opportunity to preach, partly because that is not my calling and partly because I don't know how effective it would be. I would be very disappointed if all of my readers were Christ-followers. My goal is to gather together a diverse group of readers that enjoy being exposed to different thoughts and perspectives. A personal obsession of mine is to find commonality with people and I hope my site has brought that sense of commonality to my diverse audience.
There are a lot of different levels that we can connect with each other on, even if we don't see eye-to-eye on some. I have incredible respect and appreciation for each of my readers because each has given me the freedom to write on a wide variety of topics. One of the most common pieces of blog advice is to choose a single area of focus and stick with it.
(6) How has blogging changed you?
Having a weblog and writing consistently has had an unbelievable effect on me. The site has made me more open to others, more willing to take risks, and better informed. I've been exposed to diverse voices and perspectives. The site has raised my professional profile greatly, giving me the opportunity to meet a number of cool people and participate in two book projects.
Finally, the discipline of blogging every day has helped me develop ideas more fully and express myself more clearly.
(7) How has it changed the church?
The most dramatic effect has been within the staff. The blogs have had a significant impact on our own communication and has helped spread the vision of the church throughout the organization. As you read a blog, if it is honest and open, you can't help but feel a greater connection to the writer and her church or company.
Blogs have also encouraged us to be more open, allowing readers to see how decisions are made and why. We've shared behind-the-scenes photos and anecdotes from events, and with that, the energy and excitement the staff has for what we do.
(8) How has it changed perceptions of the church?
The increased openness that blogs have encouraged has helped people feel a greater sense of connection with the church, whether they are local members, curious seekers, or staff and leaders from other churches. We have sought advice from other churches and brought a sense of community to our shared mission.
Robert Scoble's visit to our campus and subsequent high-profile conversations have certainly helped solidify Fellowship's reputation as a church that embraces technology in innovative ways.
(9) Do you have any interesting blog-related anecdotes to share with us?
I had been following Robert Scoble's blog over the past two years and had enjoyed reading about his visits to various companies that used Microsoft technology. When I read that he was visiting Dallas for a wedding, I thought I would invite him to visit Fellowship Church as we use Microsoft in nearly every area of the church, including our church management system built in .NET.
I met [Scoble at] our bookstore … and we spent the next two hours touring the church and describing how Fellowship uses technology to reach our community, serve our members, empower our staff, and make a large church seem small. A few hours later, back in Seattle, Scoble posted Ten Evangelism and IT Lessons from One of America’s Biggest Churches and I received thousands of hits in the next week. That single post, following that single invitation, started many conversations and truly launched my site. Scoble and I stayed in touch and the next thing I know we're sharing a hotel room at the SXSW conference and having lunch with Craig Newmark.
(10) Do you have any advice for other organizations thinking about blogging?
From an organizational standpoint, I see weblogs as completely natural. A weblog is the written transcript of the thoughts, conversations, ideas, mistakes, and victories that take place every day in every organization. What isn't natural is sharing that with the rest of the world.
Blogging is all about taking chances and getting out of your comfort zone. An organization must be willing tolerate some mistakes and criticism, knowing that the risk is worth the innumerable benefits of open communication. Blogs are a great instrument for connecting your organization with your users, customers, or members. Blogs also encourage honest conversation within an organization, pushing both change and growth.
How do you begin? My advice is to find the naturally curious people and let them start. I don't think you can launch blogs as
a new corporate initiative in the same way you introduce a new health plan. You need to locate the people in your organization that enjoy writing and have a passion for your product or service and want to be evangelists.
When I was in college, I heard the story of an architect who had a unique approach to paving the sidewalks on a new campus. Rather than plan where the paths should be and pour the concrete, he decided to open the campus without sidewalks and see where the people naturally traveled. After a couple of weeks, it was obvious where the sidewalks should be. I think it's the same with blogging. Let it start as an experiment and see where it naturally goes. Then lay down the foundation for others to follow.
