A Few Ways Prayer Can Help Build Your Content

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There are a number of tools that you can use to build your content, and as a Christian, you have one of the most powerful ones with you at all times. Believe it or not, prayer can be used to help build your content. Here are a few ways that a daily conversation with God can be used to generate more content.

Prayer Use # 1: An Active Prayer Life can Inspire

One of the reasons why many people pray is to obtain inspiration. If you are trying to create new content, why not use your prayers as a source? Perhaps you are struggling with the actions of your rebellious teenager, or dealing with a co-worker who is not of the church. The prayers that you say, the concerns you have, as well as how God responds to your situations can make wonderful blogging material. Nearly everyone struggles in their daily faith, so not only will your prayer life be approachable, but also extremely helpful to your readers.

Prayer Use # 2: Prayers can Provide Insight and Clarity

Often, when a person is struggling with an idea, prayer is seen as a way to clear away the cobwebs, and gain some insight. Perhaps it is the stillness experienced when listening to God, or perhaps it’s how the world seems to fall away that makes things shine with clarity. In either case, a regular and vibrant prayer life can help extend that clarity into all parts of your life, including writing. If your mind is clear, inspiration can be easily found.

Prayer Use #3: Gain Solace and Calmness

Finally, prayer can be used to gain solace and calmness, especially when deadlines are fast approaching. It has been show, even by secular studies, that taking a few breaks here and there can lead to new insights and understanding. This of course, can lead to more content. Why not take a break and say a few words in prayer? You might be surprised at how much things improve when you do.

Group Writing Project Available on The Kindle

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Our latest group writing project, In Every Thing Give Thanks, is now available on the Kindle!  Click over to see it on Amazon and if you feel inclined, leave a review. Unfortunately I had to list it for $0.99 - the lowest price available.  Apparently you can not list books for free.  :(  Just know that every penny paid will go directly towards the running of Faithful Bloggers and the associated blogs.

Posts We Love – Edition #8

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Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved. You can also leave links to any posts you loved too. If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it. Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love. If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member. Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

How Does Blogging Challenge You?

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blogging challengeI don’t know about you, but blogging is a challenge for me.  My biggest challenge is creating new content on a consistent basis.  I have the ideas, but have trouble getting them written.   It’s not a time issue; I have the time to write the post.  For me it’s a self-confidence issue.  I’m never happy with what I write.  I’m always looking for a way to make it better. Another challenge I find myself encountering is self-promotion.  In order to have a successful blog you have to do some kind of promoting.  Whether it is just commenting on other blogs, social media, writing a newsletter, or creating videos it’s all with the intent of enticing others to visit your blog.  I’m just not good with self-promotion.

Despite these challenges, I enjoy blogging.  I enjoy reading blogs.  I enjoy meeting new people with similar interests.  I enjoy helping other bloggers.

What I have to remember when these challenges decide to appear is that if I’m doing God’s will, then He will provide the answers and the abilities to overcome these challenges.

“For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.” Isaiah 41:13

“And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do [it]: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, [even] my God, [will be] with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.”  1 Chronicles 28:20

What challenges has blogging brought into your life?  How are you overcoming these challenges?

Posts We Love - Edition #7

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Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved. You can also leave links to any posts you loved too. If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it. Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love. If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member. Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Do You Offer Your Readers Hope?

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Hope: A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

Most of us have a specific reason as to why we blog.  For some it is a hobby, for others a ministry or a business.  Now if you don't care about blog traffic, creating a community, comments, etc., then this doesn't apply to you.

People come to your blog looking for something and if they can’t find what they want, they usually don’t stay around.  Your blog readers are looking for hope.  They have an expectation of receiving the information you have promised them.

Do you know what your reader expects from you and your blog?  Does it align with your purpose for blogging or your ministry?  If not, maybe you need to make some changes.

What can you do to offer your readers hope?

  1. Have a mission statement or about page that clearly states the purpose of your site.
  2. Be consistent in the information you give.
  3. Put God first.

If your blog is a ministry being consistent in your ministries purpose will only increase the number of people you are able to minister to because you will be reaching those who specifically need it.  Your readers will feel like you are talking directly to them and it will give them hope.

This is something I’m still struggling with here on Faithful Bloggers.  At times I feel like the content I publish is all over the place without a rhyme or reason.  But it is something I’m working on and with some prayer I’m sure it will improve.

Online Ministry Example – The Christian Treatment Center

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There are a lot of different types of Christian ministries online.  I’ve always said that to have a successful ministry you have to have 3 things - love, passion, and devotion.

  1. Love – In order have a ministry, online or offline, you have to have a love for Christ.
  2. Passion – You must have a passion to show God’s love to others
  3. Devotion – You must be willing to devote your time and resources to the ministry.

I recently came across The Christian Treatment Center’s website and thought they were a good example of an online ministry.  They are a Christian Drug Treatment company that is built on the foundation of Christ.  Now I don’t know the owners of the site, but based on what I see on their website, they have the love, passion, and devotion needed to run a ministry for the glory of God.

Here are some of my initial thoughts on their website:

  • I like that they offer more than one form of content.  Their services and programs are clearly listed on the site, but they also have a daily devotional and a blog that integrates nicely into their site.  They offer a reason for people to come back to their site.
  • They offer a free report.  This is a great way for a person to learn more about the company without making a decision – it’s completely worry-free for those who are not sure if they need the services offered or not.
  • They are active on social media.  We all know how popular social media is these days.  Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube – that is where everyone is at.  They have incorporated social media into their website without it being obtrusive.
  • It is easy to read.  The font is nice and easy on the eyes.  There is not a lot of distracting graphics or ads.  They are not using a huge header.  The layout is simple and clean and gets the job done.

How can you incorporate some of these thoughts into your own online ministry?  Do you offer your content in more than one way?  Maybe a podcast or a newsletter?  Do you have a way to entice people to come back to your site? Do you offer your readers a free report or something similar for them to get to know you better?  Is your site easy to read and navigate?

These are just some things to keep in mind that can help your online ministry’s website help the people who visit.

How Does Being a Christian Affect Your Blogging Business?

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This is a guest post from my friend Kelly McCausey. Kelly is a business coach that I've worked with personally. She's holding a mini round on her Christian business coaching group that's starting this week! I've got a special coupon code for Faithful Bloggers - see it below with a link to sign up for the group.

Are you a Christian blogger?

If you're reading this blog post I'll guess that you are though you might not immediately identify yourself that way. You don't have to have a blog about Christianity to make your faith part of your blogging business after all.

My faith in Jesus Christ colors everything I do and isn't that is as it should be?

Colossians 3:23 says: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men,"

Since 'whatever you do' covers your blog, you should think of yourself as a Christian blogger - no matter the topic and purpose.

I'm a business blogger, but I'm a Christian blogger at the same time.

Will it be obvious to every person that reads my blog that I'm a Christian? Probably not. I don't have fish symbols or cross signs displayed. I don't mention my faith in every bit of content that I create, it would be out of place. For the most part, business is business and I stick to that. Being a Christian blogger isn't about being obvious - rather it is about being who we are.

  • It is about using the skills and gifts he has given you with purpose and diligence.
  • It is putting your hands to good work that serves others.
  • It is conducting the business of your blog with honor and strong consideration for others.
  • It's about praying about decisions and receiving good counsel from other believers.
  • It's about operating on God's economy, not the world's.
  • It's about seeing your resources as God's resources and being generous with your time and talents.
  • It's about pursuing excellence and striving to be the best without being prideful.
  • And yes, it is about being a light to the world.

Well Kelly, if you don't go out of your way to show your blog readers that you're a Christian, how will they know?

John 13:34-35: "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another,
even as I have loved you, that you may also love one another.
By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another."

When you serve your readers well. When you show consideration for their needs. When you go above and beyond to deliver excellence. When you're patient and kind. When they feel like you've really cared about them, they'll see the difference in you. If they ask about it, you can share what makes you different. That's an open door to further conversation - whether it happens in the comment section, on social media or by email.

Is it possible to stay true to your faith AND build an income by blogging?

Someone asked me this question recently. She was looking around at some top income blogs and noticed that many of them were on topics that she wouldn't feel comfortable writing about. (Gambling, dating sites, get rich quick, etc.) Let me assure you, those are not the only money making topics on the web today. I generate a large portion of my income from blogs that cover the home, parenting and family topics.

Much of my own blogging is on the topic of making money online, a topic charged with opportunities to scam people and lead them into trouble, right? I just don't go there. I present information and tools that I believe in and feel good about recommending. Sure, I could make a lot of money promoting shifty stuff - if I didn't care about my readers - but I do and I believe God has blessed my business financially because of it.

I am holding a mini Christian Business Owners Coaching Group November 15th thru December 6th. If you've been struggling to build a business around your blog, I'd love to brainstorm with you and help you create a plan for success! Use coupon code 'courtney' and save 35%!

In Every Thing Give Thanks Special Report

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A couple weeks ago we started a new group writing project based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18.  We ended up having 13 bloggers participate!  I complied all the entires into a downloadable special report.  Feel free to download and offer it on your blog as well. Just click on the ecover below to download.

The contributors:

 

 

Posts We Love - Edition #5

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Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved. You can also leave links to any posts you loved too. If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it. Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love. If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member. Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Posts We Love - Edition #4

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Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved. You can also leave links to any posts you loved too. If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it. Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love. If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member. Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Blogging A-Z: G - Google

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Unless you live under a rock, you know about Google.  But do you know how important it is to play friendly with Google in order to get them to send you traffic?  Google is one of the most used search engines and if you want people to be able to find your blog you best hope your blog appears in the search results.  Plus they have some great tools to help make that happen. For example - In the last thirty days 35% of  all traffic to Faithful Bloggers has come from Google.  That's approximately 700 visitors in the last 30 days.  If you search through Google for "Christian Bloggers" you will find us on the first page in the #2 position.  That is what is bringing us 700 visitors a month.  The positioning in Google search results was accomplished with SEO.  SEO stands for search engine optimization and is the process one uses to increase their rank in the search engine results.  And that is a topic for another post another day.  The point is that Google is an important factor when trying to increase the traffic to your blog.

Google provides a lot of cool tools to help with blogging:

I use almost all of the above listed tools to help grow my blog.  Which ones do you use?

In Every Thing Give Thanks

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Are you ready for another group writing project?  I thought with Thanksgiving coming up just next month, thankfulness would be a great topic for a group writing project.  I chose 1 Thessalonians 5:18 as our main verse, but any verse on thankfulness would work too.

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

How to Participate

Each blogger that wishes to participate will write  a post about the chosen group writing project topic on their blog.  Once the post is up, the blogger will need to leave their link in the comments section so that everyone can read it.

Once everyone has submitted their posts, I will publish  a round up of all the posts with links back to the blogger’s blog. The entire writing project will then be complied into a special report for the bloggers who contribute to giveaway for free on their own sites.  I will also be submitting the special report for download on the Kindle and Nook.  So if you don't want to appear in special report, please let me know in advance.

Your post can be as long or as short as you want.  It can be a personal testimony, a devotional, or Bible study in nature.  It can be a photo that you believe describes the verse.  Anything goes - though I have the right not to include any posts that do not include the chosen theme.

You will have until Friday, October 28, 2011 to write your post and leave a link to it in the comments section.

Oh yea, there is a prize for participating too.  Everyone that participates (those who actually write a post and submits the link) will be put into a drawing to win a free a copy of my report, Creating Christian Content.

I can’t wait to read everyone’s posts!

Blogging A-Z: F - Feed

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One of the most useful and user friendly options for a blog owner is providing your readers with the ability to subscribe to your blog. This means they’ll receive your most recent post(s) in their email inbox or on their reader of choice such as Google Reader.   This subscription function makes it easy for your fans to stay up to date on your blog posts without having to visit your blog to see if there’s anything new. It saves them time and energy. As a blogger, it’s beneficial for you to use a subscription option for your readers because it ensures that you stay in touch with them – they won’t forget about you because your posts are being delivered to them.

Feedburner, owned by Google, is a service that makes it easy for anyone to subscribe to your blog regardless of their preferences for email or the various readers.  It is the service I use here at Faithful Bloggers and it is easy to setup and best of all it's free.

The first step is to visit Feedburner.com and enter your URL. Feedburner will then generate a feed URL for your blog. You’ll then have the option to determine what statistics and data you track. Finally, you’ll want to integrate your feed into your blog. Depending on the blogging platform you’re using the instructions will be different.

If, for example, you’re using a self hosted WordPress blog then you will need to download and activate a plug-in to use with Feedburner or some themes such as Genesis already have the support built in.  Depending on what theme you are using you may or may not already have an RSS feed icon displayed on your blog.  If not, simple search Google for "free rss icons" and find one you like.

Time management is an important aspect of building a successful blog as is offering your readers every opportunity to become active in your community and Feedburner is one tool that can help.

P.S. You can sign up for the Faithful Bloggers RSS feed by clicking on this link or clicking on the RSS icon under the newsletter sign up on the sidebar.

 

 

 

 

Online Ministry - Starting a Bible Study Blog

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Starting a Bible Study blog takes a lot of work in my opinion.  Writing a Bible study can prove to be a bit more complex because it is after all, a study. That means that you have to study to show thyself approved (2Timothy 2:15) so that your Bible study has some legs to stand on.  Of course, before starting an new project you should pray to make sure it is God's will for you continue. Bible studies can created in a number of different ways - you are not limited to just writing out a Bible study.  You can create it as a podcast or a video. You can create it as a slideshow or powerpoint presentation.  Of course, you can always write it out as a blog post as well.

Of course before beginning and after diligent prayer, there are a couple things you need to decide on before you begin.

  1. Decide who your audience is.   Keep in mind that your audience will depend on the content. There are many types of Bible studies you can write on but all fall under two main categories: Book and Topical Studies. What type of studies you are going to focus on?   Will you just focus on Bible studies for moms?  Or Bible studies for those who are in a marriage?  Will study solely focus on the books of the Bible? You need to know who you are writing for and what you are writing about before you can even start.
  2. Determine how readers will participate. Will you host a weekly meeting to cover desired topics?  Will you communicate with your readers and answer questions via blogs comments or will you use a forum or maybe even Facebook?  Will you create the Bible study in PDF format to allow your readers to download it?  The answer to these questions may change over time, but you need to at least have a format in mind before beginning.  You can always change it later to better suit your audience.
Things to keep in mind
  1. Be consistent.  Formatting your Bible studies the same way will help your readers follow along, participate more, and allow them to learn more.
  2. Be timely.  If you are writing a multiple part Bible study that will span several days or weeks, post the studies in a timely manner.  Keeping your readers waiting for the next installment will just create frustration and they may even forget all about it.
  3. Be Biblical based.  This should be obivious, but when writing a Bibles study make sure you use the Bible!  Use the Bible as your source.  Remember scripture interprets scripture.
Above all remember why you writing the Bible studies.  You are ministering to others by sharing the Word of God.  You are fulfilling part of the great commission - "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,....Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20.
Do you write Bible studies on your blog?  Do you have any tips to share?

Posts We Love - Edition #3

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Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved.  You can also leave links to any posts you loved too.  If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it.  Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love.  If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member.  Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

P.S. Leave a link to your favorite posts this pass week and get another entry into the blog party giveaways!

Posts We Love - Edition #2

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Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved.  You can also leave links to any posts you loved too.  If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it.  Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love.  If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member.  Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Online Ministry - Tips for Running a Devotion Site

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Devotion websites are one of the most popular types of online ministries on the Internet today.  Devotions are usually a short writing about a topic related to the Christian faith and life. They usually have a Bible verse or two on which they are based; and because of their brevity, they are not written on 'heavy' theological topics. Devotionals provide words of encouragement or challenging and inspiring thoughts on the many issues that Christians face. Many devotional writings also contain illustrations from everyday life and then relate that to Christian living. Devotionals are good to write because they are quick to do and can offer encouragement on many different areas. No matter who your audience is you can write a devotional for them.   However there are some things you should keep in mind if you are running this type of ministry.

  1. Pray before starting.  The Word tells us that we are to pray on all occasions. Ephesians 6: 18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,…”  This is true, even with the creation of content. Believe it or not, God really does want to be the one to guide you through everything you do. After all, He is the one who knows everything we need and all that we need to do. When you pray to God before moving forward with what you will create, it seems to make the creation process a little easier. He helps you to focus on the topic and He is pretty good with reminding you about important scriptures that you can use to validate what you write or say. Before you get started, pray that God will give you the right words to use, help you to convey the message properly, and that someone is blessed as a result of what you write.
  2. Always include Biblical examples and/or Bible verses.  The Word is the strongest component in life and it carries with it the power to effect and change lives. It makes no difference if you are writing about the Christian lifestyle, Christians in business, or a topical subject, it is best to include some Scriptures to back up what you are saying. The Bible is the truth and it is this truth that will set people free. It has answers that cover every area of life. By using scriptures in your Christian content, you are helping people find the truth and answers to many of life situations and problems.
  3. Be Personal.  The best devotions are usually ones written from experience.  Write about what you know.  Write in your own words and style.  Be yourself and be honest.  Your readers will appreciate it.
Just remember why you are writing devotions - to encourage others in living a Christ filled life  and everything will fall into place.  Do you have any tips to add?

Posts We Love!

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I'm so excited to introduce a new feature here at Faithful Bloggers - Posts We love!  Every Friday I will post links to some posts that I recently read and loved.  You can also leave links to any posts you loved too.  If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it.  Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love.  If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member.  Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Faithful Bloggers Podcast #8 - The Saturday Evening Pot

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For this podcast episode I have guests Anne and John from the The Saturday Evening Pot.  I also make make a fun announcement about the blog directory and an upcoming blog party! [display_podcast]

Links mentioned:

The Saturday Evening Pot

The Saturday Evening Pot Facebook Page

The Saturday Evening Post Twitter Page

Dine & Dish

eKat's Kitchen

SITS Girls

We Are That Family

Women Living Well

The Time Warp Wife

21st Century Housewife

inLinkz