The Blog: Some Notes and News…

It has been great to see the increase in traffic to the blog. Each week it has been hitting new highs. It’s been going a little over a month and is currently just short of 5 000 page visits from more than 2500 visitors from 58 countries – a few of which I had never heard of before and have had to look up on the map. Wherever you are from, welcome.

Some bits and pieces

• First, why the blog? I’d like to help further a thoughtful Christian faith. Roughly a thousand years ago St Anselm spoke of ‘faith seeking understanding’. This blog is a tiny contribution to that ongoing quest. It is a blog for people of any or no faith – though when I write I do so as a practicing Christian theologian – one entrusted with the role of helping to shape Christian leaders through my role as principal of Perth’s Vose Seminary. So that’s the voice you will hear from me, but I am interested in hearing your voice as well.
• I am committed to posting at 0600 AWST each Tuesday and Friday. Most commonly these posts will follow a theme for a few weeks. We started with ‘Reasons to Believe’ (a series on apologetics) and are currently exploring ‘Deciding what’s Right’, a little series on ethics. Friday’s post will be on Ambition, and some of the issues it raises.
• While Tuesday and Fridays are post days, most weeks I throw in a few extra things – like sermon notes, or some of my articles from the Advocate, or a quick response to some item of news. They can come out at any time.
• I am keen to have the voice of budding theologians aired. Hence the budding theologians section on the website. I will soon be posting some great essays from Vose students, but am also willing to consider other contributions as well. Got something that you would like to be available to others? Send it to me, and I am happy to have a look and see if it would be suitable. My Vose email is brian.harris at vose.edu.au (written like that to avoid spam)
• Want to be sure you never miss a post? Subscribe to the blog. It is easy (and yes, free). All you need to do is fill in your email address at the subscribe to the blog heading – usually to be found to the right of any post, though sometimes underneath it if you are accessing via your phone. Want to unsubscribe – easy, just hit the unsubscribe heading. The home page also allows you to access via the RSS feed. So far email subscriptions have been the most modest part of this blogs story – 31 as I write this… which is strange, as yesterday we had over 400 different visitors to the site, and as I write this (in the morning) there have been 121 today. So it is a busy site.
• Thanks for using the share button so well. Most people share with their Facebook friends, others through Twitter, LinkedIn and a range of other media. A few of the posts have had over a hundred shares, and no doubt this has been a key factor in drawing people to the site. Thanks again. On most devices, the share button is at the end the post, and it is really easy to use.
• Previous posts are accessible via the archive. Do browse through it.
• Don’t hesitate to post your comments on the blog. Agreement is never a pre requisite – though equally it is not a disqualifier. The only things disallowed are personal attacks or obviously inappropriate comments. I have seen some great comments made about posts on Facebook – which is wonderful as they include people who haven’t yet visited the blog. However, why not also place them on the blog. That way they will get seen by a far wider readership. I’d like to get the conversation going – and your comments certainly help that.
• Feedback on the blog is always welcome, as are requests for posts on topics that interest you.

And finally, a sort of commercial… Vose Seminary is holding its Open Day this Saturday (10 October, 2015) from 1100-1500. It is taking a different format this year, and will include a career expo answering the question, ‘so what careers are likely to open up for those with a Vose qualification?’ (and those qualifications range from the Cert IV to the PhD. While most of our courses are in theology, we are also able to offer a few in education and some other disciplines). There will be free food, fairy floss, mini lectures, a running radio commentary on Sonshine fm and more beside. Where is Vose? 20 Hayman Rd Bentley – right across the road from Curtin University. If you are within 100km of us, do visit. If not, consider studying via our distance program which will be introduced at the start of 2016. Our website is currently being redesigned, and full details will be available on the new site in a few weeks.

And that is it from me until tomorrow.

Nice chatting…