Okay we have the Orthodox Christian Network and Ancient Faith Radio and some priests do have blogs, but I do not believe that one of our bishops has any sort of out reach at all into the internet and this needs to change! Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston was the first blogging cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church and if he can do it, as busy as he is, then our bishops can find time to do. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t picture Cardinal Sean blogging away as I am now but he ha someone who publishes his posts for him.
The generation coming of age right now is called the wired generation. We need to be able to reach them and the best format is to use the internet as they all do. I am surprised at the number of Orthodox Parishes that do not even have web pages! As Fr. Vasiliy Vasileivich, contributor to the Onion Dome would say, IS OUTRAGE!
I have said this before and I will say it again and again, if we are to be relevant we need to be relevant! Our clergy are not that busy that they cannot find time to post their homilies. For $125 one can purchase a recording device and record your homilies and post them on iTunes or on the web. We are loosing and need to regain ground that we have lost. This is not hard stuff!
All of the jurisdictions have website and each should have links to their parishes websites. If the parish does not have a website, the diocese should create one with nothing more than a picture of the church, the priests name, and service times so, God forbid, people might be able to find us!
Website design is very simple. I am sure there are teens in the church that could teach us. Reach out into your community and find someone who can do it for you. There are also the social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, plurk, ping and the like. These can be used for ministry purposes and they are FREE, an orthodox dream!
The church needs to use whatever tools it can to reach the generation that will be the leaders in the church. We need to keep them coming and keep them interested and involved. Yes it takes work but it needs to be done. Come on and admit it we are not that busy. We like to think we are but we have five minutes a day to post something like this. Okay it has taken me 10 because I ramble on.
Just do it!
If we be all internetting, Is not time left to be spooky! Is not easy, typing in riassa – and spiritual father will not give blessing to blog while wearing cuffs!
Is difficult to get Blessing from spiritual father for blog post at all: must call old country where Matushka of neighboring parish must then run up side of mountain to ask Monk “Vladyka, please bless Father for tweet!” Then Matushka come back to phone, call me and I say “Is forgetting what I was to tweet about!”
Is also question of Calendar. Today is 12 August on holy divine God-bearing Julian Calendar invented by pagans. How can I comment on blog post you make 13 days in future??? Is OUTRAGE!
Podcasting? Even if there was blessing from Bishop for this (phone call, Matushka-up-mountain, Vladyka Bless!, Matushka-down-mountain, phone call) which there isn’t, why should be putting sermons in cyberspace? Cyberspace is OUTSIDE OF CHURCH! You want good Orthodox sermon come to Orthodox CHurch 13 days ago! Stand around looking confused and, if we remember, we may, after communion and parish announcements, mumble something that remotely sounds like english. Or it may be in other, more holy language.
Farther Vasili
Fr. P. And, at the same time, teach them how to do it in English.
orthodoxy is not supose to be some great secret kept between a parish and its priest its to be open to all people. you reach people were they are and with their media.you can’t reach future converts if you do not want to convert anyone or keep your faith tied up like some secret. jesus told his apostle to take what was told to them in secret and shout it from the roof tops.i guess he was more progressive then some priest or orthodox people are. anne
JUST DO IT! Amen