What is going on with our vocabulary? The last time I looked in the dictionary the word Blog didn’t even exist. My computer didn’t even recognize it as a word and I had to “add” the word to my spell checklist. How can that be? This is a computer/technological word and my computer doesn’t recognize the term.

The Facts…

• Thanks to technology, our language and ways of communicating are changing so fast that we (those of us over 30) sometimes find it hard to keep up.
• Young people have grown up with computers, Internet, cell phones iPods, and MP3 players as part of their everyday experiences. Blogs are no different.

What is a Blog?

A Blog is actually a shortened term that means “web log.”“What is a web log?” A web log is a type of personal website. These sites are fairly easy to create and are free or very cheap. They provide ways to:

• Journal thoughts on a variety of topics
• Post pictures and other graphics
• Begin live “chats” with others
• Opportunities to respond to the different topics

Blogs are very popular on various websites. I am a huge Buffalo Bills fan (let the pity party begin) and their website has a Blog from sportswriter Chris Brown. He writes thoughts about the Bills’ performance each week as well as other related information. I can then write my thoughts to other fans about his article and respond to other comments.

What Is so Special about Blog(ging)?

The coolest thing about Blogs is the content of the Blog is personal. They also offer a great way to get—and stay—connected with friends and family.

Most Blogs are hosted by specific websites like AOL (America on-line). One of the most popular Blog sites is MySpace.com. My nieces used this site to see if they could find one of their cousins they had not seen in a long time. It so happened she also had a myspace account. As a result, they were all able to connect and reunite at a birthday party.

Young people are using Blogs for the same reasons. Blogs are a way to stay connected with others, express thoughts and engage in meaningful conversations. Young people are drawn to them because real people write them. Young people are longing for relationships and ways to express themselves. Blogging gives them a way to fulfill those needs. Blogs are also used for educational reasons and to search for information on a topic. The discussion forums on the NACYML website are one example of a very basic form of Blogging.

How Can a Blog Help Me with Ministering to Young People?

Blogs are a great way to keep connected with young people. The simple fact is that young people seem to be spending more time on-line then they do watching television (both good and bad news here). Young people use their computer for many things but using computers as a means to relate to their world is the by far the most popular use.

By creating your own Blog site, you can facilitate keeping teens in your youth group in the following ways:

• Post information on upcoming events
• Engage them in chat sessions
• Bring the group together to talk at any time
• Create a discussion forum
• Provide a powerful evangelization tool
• Post a link to your Blog from your parish website

What Are the Risks with Blogs?

These sites usually have the user develop a profile, which can include as much or as little personal information as the user wants. The risk comes with sharing too much personal information. If a person types in your name, your profile comes up. However, (supposedly) the only people who can access your Blog are the people you list as your “Friends.” Even so, your friends can share your Blog with other “friends” and so on. The risk here comes with not knowing everyone’s “friends” and your profile becoming pubic information. The answer: it is best not to give too much personal information in your profile.

Jesus said, “Do Not Be Afraid!”

The unknown can be scary at times. Afraid of the unknown, even the apostles locked themselves in the upper room after Jesus’ death. However, they had to face the unknown despite their fears. “Do not be afraid.” The only way to be connected with young people is to live inside their world. We cannot minister to a culture effectively if we do not know the culture. Try setting up a Blog. I did! The sites are very easy to navigate and make creating your own Blog easy. You may find your new Blog becomes your most useful tool for communicating and evangelizing. You can check out my new Blog at http://icygchat.blogspot.com/