As I looked skywards, for the first time in a long time, while sitting on the seashore on a bright full moon evening, it dawned very clearly on me, that God is so much more than can be found on a computer screen, or in a smart phone – as found in the digital world, found locked up in cyberspace.

We cannot lock God up. This is what the digital age actually does, whether deliberately or otherwise.

I came to the realisation, while looking towards the sky this evening, seeing the three levels of cloud, seeing the moon in all its glory on this full moon evening, seeing the awesomeness of nature at her best, that our concentration on that small computer screen, on a blinkered reality, diminishes the reality of the awesomeness of our God.

We become unintentionally closed to this reality of God – closed to God.

The small screen encourages small thinking – a small intellectualisation of the reality of God. Over time, we seem to believe consciously or subconsciously, that the reality of containment, as espoused by, or through, the computer screen, is actually real! It is NOT!

Not only small thinking becomes somewhat the norm, but small imagining, small emotionalising, small acceptance of the inherent, closeness of God, who is yet still way beyond our normal everyday actualities, becomes closed, becomes digitalised.

Imagine an existence where our imagination becomes locked inside a computer, or locked inside our own brain, which believes the digitalised world is real, hence becoming for all intent and purpose, an actually believed existence inside a computer - becomes digitalised i.e. becomes other computer worldly – yet still very real for the viewer of that computer screen.

Even greater disbelief for someone within the real world, would be seeing someone who is locked, by virtue of that person’s cyber-world reality, away from any real human emotion. That person is becoming more computer-emotional.

Becoming more one emotionally with the digital world and less one with the human world!

Wonderful human experiences within the real natural world can inspire anyone, even one within the emotionally and intellectually fraught cyber-world closed in realism, to see the reality of a very special God within our human existence.

More moon beams and sun beams are needed to figuratively shine on to the computer screen – to awaken the reality of the one behind these beams. The softness of the moonbeam and the strength of the sunbeam see our God in true action within this world.

 The 'God can’t be found in the computer screen, even less in the smart phone – just look skywards!' blog post written by Bryan Foster, author of Church Marketing Manual for the Digital Age (2nd ed), - the paperback and ebook manual for Church communications and marketing personnel - 304 pages of easy to read and implement summarized points, which allow for a considerably large number of quality stategies and examples to be detailed and available for church marketing personnel - with copyright remaining GDPL. Book available from Amazon.com and Createspace.com 

 

 

The main points I gained from the Australian Catholic Media Conference 2012 were:

* we, the Church (and its institutions) need a strong loving presence in the digital world

* get the Catholic / Christian message out there

* be gentle and compassionate in your approach - use Jesus as your model

* tell your story, Jesus story and the Church's story - people love stories

* use blogs and social media, particularly You Tube, Facebook and Twitter - take the risk, yet have 'conditions of use' whereby you may cancel inappropriate responses

* [link one to the other for maximum output]

* develop well constructed websites and include links to good Catholic websites eg Fr Barron

* include on these websites podcasts, videos, texts, etc., of messages / sermons from key people within the parish [or school]

* support and promote quality mainstream media shows and articles relevant to the message eg ABC

* support and promote authentic social justice websites and activists

* use xt3.com website for youth involvement throughout Australia (from Sydney Archdiocese)

For an overview of the key speakers and a summary of their points go to the blog post at: 'Australian Catholic Media Conference 2012 - an Overview with Links'.

The 'Australian Catholic Media Conference 2012 - a summary of key points for the digital age' blog post written by Bryan Foster, author of Church Marketing Manual for the Digital Age (2nd ed), - the paperback and ebook manual for Church communications and marketing personnel - 304 pages of easy to read and implement summarized points, which allow for a considerably large number of quality stategies and examples to be detailed and available for church marketing personnel - with copyright remaining GDPL. Book available from Amazon.com and Createspace.com 

Love is the meaning of life. To love and to be loved being the main purpose for our whole existence. Why then do so many people allow all the other lifestyle issues, values, resources, relationships, etc, become a distraction? Why then do so many people let the distractions interfere and often dominate their lives?

Most people would believe that the desire to love and be loved to be an intrinsic part of life - you are born with it. You are born to love and be loved. That people living a balanced life, where they are loved and loved others within their family and friendship circle, truly appreciate this message. Once this message is appreciated and lived, then it is the normal thing to do when relating with others and the world.

However, somewhere along the way, many get distracted for so many reasons and then lose that true focus. The human frailties of greed, selfishness, envy, failure to forgive and be forgiven, lust, gluttony, etc, come to the fore and seductively entice people to follow this distracting and destructive pathway.

This transfer of priorities may even occur in early to mid-childhood, where parents or other significant adults or people within the young person's life, live an alternate destructive lifestyle, which is seen by the young person as the norm, and hence worthy of following (even if subconsciously). This then becomes the accepted lifestyle as they grow up.

People may then follow this pathway until challenged to do otherwise. Challenged to see the destructiveness of these chosen ways, challenged to confront the situation they then find to be wrong, challenged to become a better more loving person. This challenge often comes at a time of complete lowness / loneliness within their lives.

To love and to be loved is the meaning of life. It is the primary and quite raw need within all people. It is not only a basic emotional and social need of each person but it is also the main spiritual desire and need.

Appreciating that love is the meaning of life brings with it the challenge to love and to be loved in all its manifestations. To not get distracted and damaged by allowing all the other stuff to get in the way. This belief should be at the core of all church and religious school philosophies and theologies.

When 'Love is the Meaning of Life' then the future holds no bounds.

Love rules! Most people would believe that the desire to love and to be loved is an intrinsic part of all humanity.

The 'Love is the Meaning of Life - Lifestyle Becomes a Distraction' blog post is written by Bryan Foster, author of Church Marketing Manual for the Digital Age (2nd ed), - the paperback and ebook manual for Church communications and marketing personnel - 304 pages of easy to read and implement summarized points, which allow for a considerably large number of quality stategies and examples to be detailed and available for church marketing personnel - with copyright remaining GDPL. Book available from Amazon.com and Createspace.com 

e-Books are a great addition for church marketing personnel - to offer the detail often lacking in everyday marketing campaigns. This option is also one of the most difficult forms of marketing your church or parish. Considerable content and time is needed for success. The author also needs time to write the text.

The publication stage may be simple and be just a pdf, which can either be uploaded free or sold though the parish website. Or it may be of a high quality through such companies as Amazon and its subsidiary CreateSpace. Church marketing through Amazon and CreateSpace takes on a whole new dimension.

A high quality e-book would have between 300-400 A4 pages, whereas an average e-book would be a minimum of about 150 A4 pages. Poor e-books would be below 100 pages - unfortunately, too many internet authors fit into this category these days, and hence make it difficult for the good authors to be seen as highly creditable in the marketplace. These books would be written with the purpose being to inform the reader in a detailed way of how to achieve whatever the aims were being offered for each church marketing e-book.

e-Books can be continually updated and uploaded to various websites for placing in the internet market. This is a huge advantage over everyday hard-copy textbooks, which usually take many months before publication! My e-books have been updated between 2 and 3 times each. These were then uploaded abd offered for sale - literally the day each was finally edited and approved!

Each parish should seriously consider whether they have the content regarding their parish, which they would like developed into an actual e-book for publication and sale on the parish website. Content would include all the parish has to offer at all levels, from new born to aged care and subsequent activities.

 My suggestion for the most successful way to succeed with giving thorough detail in the marketing field is to write the e-book in a summarized point format. This allows for a large variety of topics to be covered. It also allows for the reader not to be overawed by copious amounts of words on each specific point being made. Summarized points are often more easily read and often easier to interpret and understand. The page layout is also far more conducive and attractive and therefore should appeal to more people and hence be more successful overall.

 The marketing e-book is becoming very quickly a necessary marketing tool for the contemporary marketing personnel in today's digital world. The detail it gives can be very successful when combined with an appropriate writing format - particularly the summarized point format.

 The 'The e-Book - a Strategy for Church Marketing' blog post is written by Bryan Foster, author of Church Marketing Manual for the Digital Age (2nd ed), - the paperback and ebook manual for Church communications and marketing personnel - 304 pages of easy to read and implement summarized points, which allow for a considerably large number of quality stategies and examples to be detailed and available for church marketing personnel - with copyright remaining GDPL. Book available from Amazon.com and Createspace.com