I have been asked to be a part of the premiere issue of Relevant Network's first issue of their new resource for leader, Neue. I'm honored to take part, as I truly believe this is going to be incredible resource for leaders. However, because this is the first issue for the resource, I'm having a bit of trouble finding the right voice for my article. My initial take on the topic (new media for ministies) was to approach it from a philosophical point of view. I blog regularly, I create videos, I'm working on my own personal metanarrative stories, I'm utilizing micromessaging for LIfeWay content... I'm deep in the trenches of utilizing new media on a regular basis. So, what interested me was something a bit more abstract, talking about some of the history of media and how we got to "new media," and then connecting the two to see a bit why we do new media the way we do... and, thus, how we should do it. My editor, the wonderfully patient Corene Isreal at Relevant Networks, wasn't interested in all that. ;-) The great thing about working with an editor like Corene is that she is able to both uplift me in what I've done right but also sternly let me know what she's looking for. The fact of the matter is they have a plan and an image for their product; if I'm going to tell my message the two need to match. I think the key for any freelance writer that's starting out is a willingness to be teachable and flexible. I know the messages that are important to my heart and threads of them will naturally come out in anything I write. Corene, however, knows what she wanted for this article, and waxing philosophically about the history of media and the cultural concepts behind new media was not it. To quote Corene's first round of feedback for me:

In general, you should give specific examples of churches, websites, blogs, etc., that are doing cutting-edge things. As someone who knows a lot about new media, you likely come into contact with or know about a lot of innovative things happening. When you talk about blogs, for examples, give examples of some churches/ministries that are doing some creative and cool things and talk about why. Same with the other sections. Be specific and allow people to really hone in on what you're talking about.

Yeah, that's totally what I didn't do. Oops. It's tough for me because of the dreaded "curse of knowledge" - like she said, I come into contact with innovative things that are happening all the time. But, at my pace of life, what was innovative a three months ago is copied and processed and old hat already. Writing this article really made me stop and think: if I could only point someone to a few faith-based blogs as prime examples of what TO do, what would I include? I like that Corene challenged me and knew that I had the answers in me, it just took some massaging to get me to slow down and catch her vision. I like that my article is going to fit with the flow and tone of the rest of the product. I like that what I have written is something that may actually help church leaders dip their toes into the blogging world instead of me speaking a language that doesn't really connect yet. I like that my editor told me to change.

Perspectives of our Fathers (hello, dad!)

I found out today that my dad really does read my blog. It's honoring (and humbling) that my father thinks that the things I have to say are worth his time and effort to read/watch/interact with. Hello, dad. ;-) My dad called because he was concerned that I would get into trouble for my previous post. I think he misunderstood the point of the post (that I was highlighting a company that is effectively using new media formats to due some unique things; specifically, building a young, talented and loyal workforce). My dad read the post as saying I'd rather work at company where people can dance rather than my current job... which is totally not the message I was trying to convey. The wisdom of fathers often comes with age and, as such, I appreciate that he was concerned enough to let me know how he interpreted the post. Though it was not meant at all to convey such a message, either there was something in the post that made him think that or the post was poorly written and, thus, easily misunderstood. I chose to feature the dancing video because it showed, to me, how embedded new media is into the culutre at Zappos. At LifeWay we're getting there, but it's the work of just a few of us. At Zappos, everyone has joined the party. I mean, their corporate blog posts recipies even. To me, the reaction to seeing such seemingly non-sensical work that is, essenitally, about creating a corporate image should not just be gawked at but figured out if it works or not. My dad, having years of experience over me, asked how long they've been in business (to which I guessed 4 years). He said to look into them when they've been around for ten years. Turns out, they were started in 1999 and, this year, they expect to bring in over a billion dollars in revenue. I could go on and on about how I think they're doing things right in the digital space and innovating with their online transparency. I don't know that I'd want to work there though, to be honest. It seems almost like too much "fun" and pranks amidst the work. Perhaps I'm too old already? The point is, it's interesting to me how blogs can be interpreted so many ways. My dad interpreted my post spotlighting a cool company doing things the way I consider to be "right" thought new media marketing as me saying I'd rather work there and that I dislike my job. This is, simply put, not true. I love my job and have no intention of leaving. I enjoy the challenge of helping my workplace find how we can best use new media for our business and to help our customers, churches. The reason I write articles for Collide and do videos for the Leadership Network is because I want to share my experise and my understanding of digital-culture-as-it-is with those who maybe aren't as connected to it as I am. I welcome the struggles of my job and only hope to have more; if it was easy I'd get bored and there would be nothing for me to work towards. But, instead, I get to go to work every day and wonder what the experience will be like, what will I get to learn, and what will I get to teach. Thankfully, we have the wisdom of our fathers to help us see when our zeal and enthusiasm might be interpreted for something that it's not. It's that experience and outside perspective that always will be valued.