Blogs vs. E-mail Updates

As missionaries we want to keep our supporters and friends updated with our activities and plans. We want them to feel a part of what we are doing. We want them to pray for us, our families, and the people we minister to. We also want to do that more often than when we were sending out prayer letters. Many missionaries choose to post a blog like this so that their supporters and friends can see it whenever they want. Other missionaries set up an e-mail mailing list to send out updates. So which is better?

To answer that question we need to look at the difference between what is known as "push" and "pull". "Push" is like an e-mail update that your supporter receives in his/her e-mail inbox. They open their e-mail and it is there. "Pull" is like your blog. You may alert them to the new blog, or they may have an RSS feed set up (more on that at another time) so they are alerted to your new blog, but they need to go out to the internet to receive it and view it.

For my ministry updates I like to push my e-mail updates to my people. I like to have my e-mail arrive in their e-mail inbox for them to look at. I do not want them to have to take any extra clicks or time to have to look for my update.

On the other hand, if you use a blog you are not limited to the people on your e-mail list. Anyone can go to your blog. Someone doing a web search can find your blog and may become interested in what you are doing. Since your blog is hosted by a web service it will remain archived on the site. People can go back and check it again.

But you can actually do both. Many blog services, including this one, will allow you to post a blog from an e-mail. You can send an e-mail to your blog and your e-mail update will become a blog. You do not have to choose. You can set up your blog and you can post to your blog from your e-mail update.

Whatever you choose the important thing is to make sure that you are communicating to your supporters and friends.