If you are a women’s leader who already has a blog, you understand the benefit of speaking truth into women in an online format. If you do not have a blog for your women’s ministry, you are either thinking “do not make me blog” or “I know it would connect our women and guide them if we had one.”
Recently, I met with some key women’s ministry leaders of all ages, and we discussed the use of blogs and social media. We shared our desire to help women discern how to effectively read and take in all the information available online.
Here are some thoughts and cautions we mentioned:
1. We must dispel the myth that if it’s in print it must be true! Almost anyone can write an article and host a blog, but that doesn’t mean the information she shares is true. Because information is so readily available at the tap of the keyboard and Google, we need to help our women know how to determine truth. The Bible, and God Himself, do not change (See Ps. 33:11; James 1:17, Matt. 24:35, Ps. 119:89).
2. Check out the doctrinal statements of bloggers you read. Most will let you know what they believe in and stand for. If your women disagree with these statements, then they must read the blog through the lens of their own doctrinal beliefs. It doesn’t mean you should not read them, but do so with eyes open to their belief system.
3. As leaders we need to follow the blogs our women follow so we will know how to intelligently discuss what they read. If you do not know what your women are dealing with, you won’t know how to shepherd them well.
4. If women are focused on a particular issue online, use your blog to throw out a topic and ask them what the Bible says about it.
5. Teach women what is good and what is not by teaching Bible truths. If they know God’s truth, they will be able to see even subtle lies.
6. Be willing to discuss with them, face to face, the issues that concern them. It must be a safe and open forum in which to talk about the tough things of life and culture.
7. Have someone (or group of women) who is a discerning read and follow blogs of interest. Encourage them read to discuss and share what they’re learning and discovering.
What else do you do to help you women be discriminating about all they read on line? Watch for more posts covering what we learned in our recent leader meeting.
