The Sermon Browser WordPress Plugin allows churches to simply upload sermons to their WordPress website, where they can be searched, listened to, and downloaded. It is easy to use with comprehensive help and tutorials. Features include:

1. Sermons can be searched by topic, preacher, bible passage or date.
2. Full podcasting capabilities, including custom podcasts for individual users.
3. Sermons uploaded in mp3 format can be played directly on your website using the 1PixelOut Audio Player.
4. An optional sidebar widget displays sermons on all of your posts or pages.
5. Embed videos from sites such as YouTube or Google Video.
6. Other file types can also be uploaded, including PDF, Powerpoint, Word, text and RTF. Multiple files can be attached to single sermons.
7. The full Bible text of the passage being preached on can be included on each sermon page (five different versions, including ESV).
8. Files can be uploaded to your own site through the browser or via FTP. Alternatively you can use other free audio hosting sites such as Odeo.
9. Powerful templating function allows complete customisation to complement the look of your site.
10. Simple statistics show how often each sermon has been listened to.
11. Compatible with WordPress MU.
12. Extensive help and tutorial screencasts.

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"In quantitative terms, blogging is the most important thing I do. I view it as a form of digital discipleship. Not a substitute for one-on-one. But a great supplement. As NCC grows larger, I feel like it’s a way that our congregation can know what is going on in my head and my heart at any given moment."

Here’s a link to a valuable list of blogging guidelines from a veteran blogging pastor.

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"6 Reasons Pastors Should Blog"  by Abraham Piper @ Desiring God (John Piper’s website)

Abraham starts off with his own reason behind the article:

"In this article I want to convince as many pastors as possible to sit down and start a blog today. If I can’t convince them, then I want to convince churchgoers to hound their pastor until he does."

Abraham then lists 6 important reasons that pastors should blog. The article develops and explains each of the six:

1. …to write.
2. …to teach.
3. …to recommend.
4. …to interact.
5. …to develop an eye for what is meaningful.
6. …to be known.

In conclusion, Piper writes:

"For most of you, anything you post online will only be a small piece in the grand scheme of your pastoral leadership. But if you can maintain a blog that is both compelling and personal, it can be an important small piece.

It will give you access to your people’s minds and hearts in a unique way by giving them a chance to know you as a well-rounded person. You will no longer be only a preacher and a teacher, but also a guy who had a hard time putting together a swing-set for his kids last weekend. People will open up for you as you open up like this for them. Letting people catch an honest glimpse of your life will add authenticity to your teaching and depth to your ministry."

It really is a well thought out article and well worth the few minutes it takes to read it all. The following are links to other articles and several wholes series on pastors and blogging which have previously been featured on this blog:

Getting Started: “Blogging for Pastors 101″

Why Blogging?: It’s “What People Need From Their Pastors”

Pastor Blogs His Sermon Series Notes

“Blogging & Pastoral Ministry: The Series”

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He mentioned it in a comment made on a previous post. Then he expanded on it in an article at his Total Leadership blog:

“I recently began a sermon series called the The Core. This series covers 15 essential doctrines of the faith. I decided to create a blog that goes along with the series. You can read it at www.thecoreconvictions.wordpress.com . Now people can interact with the material all week and discuss the topic. Do I have most people discussing, no, but they are reading. Another plus is that people can stumble across the page and read the material and the blog points them to the sermons online. The key is multiplication. Multiply your ministry and you will multiply influence for the glory of God.”

What an excellent use of a blog for ministry. Notice that Pastor Tad used WordPress.com to set up this blog. Cost= Zero $ @ ministry multiplied exponentially. Blogs like this can be set up as temporary sites, or a more permanent blog could be set up to post current sermon notes along with keeping the old series notes in the archives.

Blogging programs make this all possible and easy to post and organize. WordPress.com is a particularly good choice for this purpose since the program offers static pages that can be used for various purposes. Notice that Pastor Tad used one page on his blog as a Core Reading List. Thanks Pastor Tad Thompson for the great ideas.            *Top

By Brian Bailey, with Terry Storch (San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons,inc., 2007, 199 pages)

This is an incredible book. Essential for all ministers and pastors interested in blogging as a possible media for ministry.    < –Read my complete review–> *Top