Your blog is up and running and you have ideas for content. Great! That was a big first step.

Now it’s time to start looking outside your committee. Make your blog a parishwide outreach adventure.

One approach is to look at the mission of your church and how the various committees of your church reflect that mission. Present issues important to them, but with a twist. Always find a way to address topics on your members’ minds from the viewpoint of non-members. Think about the hundreds of people you can reach — not the people who are already on board.

Begin by looking outside the Social Media Ministry Committee. What are their challenges and concerns of other church committees? Overlook no one.

Keep in mind that your committee has probably been working at this for a while and are now accustomed to the concept. It is likely to be alien territory to others. All can play a role in your congregation’s Social Media outreach, but your committee must lead and teach.

Be forewarned. This effort is probably going to involve talking to members one on one. Meet with committees to explain the concept. Give it time to sink in. It’s new. They will need help in finding ways to follow through. Hold their hands!

Here are some ideas to share which illustrate the thinking that goes into a blog.

Property Committees might be concerned with making the church grounds handicapped accessible and may have freshly studied this topic. Run some articles on what any organization should consider when planning for assessibility. (2×2 ran a post on accessibility beginning with proximity.) You can use your experience for examples of both challenges and solutions. If you have disabled members videotape them talking about their challenges. Remember your content should benefit other people. Another property issue might be “going green” or saving money on utilities. Address the issues in a way nonmembers would read.

A Fellowship or Hospitality Committee might have advice to give on how to welcome visitors, encourage future participation and learn to invite. (Here’s a 2×2 example). Many organizations face the same challenges. Write for them. Other topics for potential fellowship outreach might include comforting the grieving, welcoming people who speak different languages, or bonding groups of youth from different schools and parts of town.

Education Committees should have no end of material. Parents are always looking for ways to teach their children. Teens are always looking for projects and ways to contribute. Adults are life-long seekers. They can use experiences as illustrations or anecdotes, but look outward.

Finance and Stewardship Committee will want to explain the “anatomy of a modern church budget” and explore giving. Do not write about your congregation’s problems. Focus on the challenges faced by all organizations like yours.

Social Outreach Committees can publicize the needs of the community at various times of the year and suggest answers. It might include housing the homeless in winter, stocking food pantries, helping the jobless, advising those in broken relationships, helping the grieving. Interview the people who work with these problems. This committee can play a pivotal role in building your congregation’s neighborhood network. Prominent newsworthy issues are also worthy of comment. Videotape members on their personal responses to disasters like Katrina, earthquakes or tsunamis.

Worship Committees can talk about the celebrations of the seasons and present histories of traditions and suggest ideas for modern celebration. What makes a handbell choir fun? How do you get boys to sing? Is prayer good for your health? (2×2 example).

Include youth in your blogging project. This is an area where they can shine. Social media is in their blood. They can write and video and teach the adults a thing or two!

Do not talk about your problems or challenges. Your goal is to attract new people to your church. The first thing they want to see is not your stewardship goals or your plea for more choir members. Focus on the other guy.

Invite members of other committees to write for the church blog, but make sure they understand the outreach goal. Go over topic ideas with them, so they understand viewpoint. Remember, this is a new way of thinking. You will have to work with them for a while.

Videos are great additions to blogs. Keep a camera on hand and use it. One blogger, who writes about her community, carries a small video camera with her and invites people she meets to comment on something of current interest in her town. If she visits a carnival, she may grab parents waiting for a child to get off a ride and ask for their impressions on the local fair. If there is a convention going on, she’ll find an attendee to talk about the town. A church could video a supply pastor about what he/she sees from church to church. An interview with a returning member could talk about how things have changed. You’ll soon find plenty of ideas.

Just remember. Focus on the people who are not in church. What might interest them?