So What Is a GodblogCon blogconGodblogConblog…

A reader of our blog recently inquired:

Found GodblogCon on the BlogWorld expo website and would like to know more about who you are, what you do, how you plan to do it, etc. The info here seems a little sparse so far so please feel free to e-mail me. I’m a married Christian woman living in Las Vegas, NV, who has recently started her own blog… Blessings!

Great question, thanks for asking. The title in all its garrulous and tongue-twistery glory does not necessarily explain who we are or what we are about as much as one might like. Are we a Godblog who cons? Does God blogcon at this site? Perhaps God blogs, con? Try saying the name in sequence with various re-ording of the words, it’s fun: GodblogconblogGodconblogGodconblogconGodconblog… Perhaps the most straightforward explanation that I can offer is that GodblogCon is a conference of Christian bloggers. However, this punchy explanation does not capture the essence of GodblogCon, what it is at its core.

GodblogCon is a gathering, it is a fellowship of Christian bloggers, of cultural revolutionaries, of technological visionaries, of professors and pastors, of networkers and authors, of lawyers, poets, pundits, web designers and coders, men, and women who all share one central concern: the advancement of Christ and His kingdom through blogging and internet technologies.

So what does all that mean; what do we do at this thing anyway? GodblogCon hosts a combination of plenary and panel sessions with the purpose of educating its attendees on a number of topics significant to the concerns of Christians involved with blogging and other internet media. Furthermore, GodblogCon connects our attendees with the leading companies and technologies in the internet media industry. To this end, we have partnered with the nation’s premiere tradeshow, the BlogWorld and New Media Expo, and given our attendees time to explore the trade-show floor, visit BlogWorld sessions, and fully submerse themselves in the world of this rapidly growing industry. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, GodblogCon intentionally builds friendships and community among our attendees through a series of forums and events. For example, the Family Research Council is hosting an opening night dinner for some of our GodblogCon attendees to feed their desires for fellowship with one another at the conference. GodblogCon also features a number of open forums where our attendees get the opportunity to interact with top Godbloggers and ask them questions on a number of important subjects – such interpersonal interaction will never be replaced by listening to our podcasts or watching our vidcasts.

The mandate for our attendees is clear. Internet technology is radically redefining many social and media norms. The power and potential of the internet has not gone unnoticed, yet many are unsure what the final outcome of this period of change (brought by the internet) will be. Christians must be made aware of the changes and they must be educated to interact well with emerging internet media technologies. Christians can not afford to critique these changes, to curse the darkness, from the safety of their pews and cultural commentaries. Christians must bring the light of Christ to the fore of this new industry; GodblogCon is our opportunity to do just that!