I’m half way through Naked Conversatons, and there’s been quite a few notes I’ve jotted down from the first half. I’ll get into the specifics of those when we get back home later today (we’re at the in-laws right now, getting ready to leave in just a bit). But the theme is all there, in the pages of Naked Conversations, just like in the Cluetrain Manifesto 6 years ago (but now, it is glaringly obvious, and companies are starting to get it, and so its time for the church to follow suit, and that includes the denominations (they’re constituents/members got it quite a while ago; they’re needing to play catch up (again—just as with most all previous “new media”)

For me, the power of story and the power of unfettered opinion is what gives blogs their immense value for connecting the people of God with one another. The church example in Naked Conversations don’t seem to be getting it. As much as they pushed the idea of blogging, it very much seemed to be getting done by the “PR” folk, who are using it in much the same fashion as the “top-down” old-school PR folks Scoble and Israel talk about. I say this because much of the “blog-buzz” sounded like commercials for the various programs happening at the church. There’s nothing wrong with doing SOME of this, but for me, the strength of blogs is in giving a flavor for who the PEOPLE are; their interests, passions, concerns , and their perceived role in the church.