MinistryTech Online

I have to say that I have been a fan of podcasting for a long time and I have written about it before. We have been podcasting our chapel talks here from the Bear Valley Bible Institute regularly since september of 2005 (click here for a link in iTunes). We also podcast the sermons from the Bear Valley church of Christ each week (click here for a link in iTunes). But, repurposing audio content is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what podcasting can do.

So What is a Podcast?

The word podcast came from the term Portable On Demand broadCAST. It was not directly connected to Apple’s iPod devices (although they certainly made podcasting more “portable”). In its simplest form, a podcast is an audio blog. They are audio files linked to a blog format website with an RSS feed so people can “subscribe” to the content. “Podcatching” software, like iTunes, allows listeners to set their computers to download these files automatically when new audio sessions are available. Once downloaded, they can be sync’d to an iPod, phone or other mobile device so they can be heard any time, any place. Pretty neat huh?

Talk Radio on the Internet

But there are two podcasts that I want to make you aware of that are going beyond just repurposing Sunday morning sermons, recorded Bible classes, and devotional talks. Both of these “programs” fit more of a talk radio type format. Rather than posting a sermon audio, they discuss topics, events and issues from a Christian perspective. These programs are made for podcasting and they are well worth your time to give a listen.

iPreach the podcast

iPreach, hosted by Dale Jenkins and Adam Faughn (both full time preachers), is a talk show format podcast for preachers. These guys have a great time doing this show and interview some great folks (and no I am not saying that just because I have been on their show) about what is going on in preaching around the Brotherhood. Recently, they recorded an episode live from our Ministry Technology class here at Bear Valley. It was a blast! This show is recorded live using TalkShoe.com and if you go online while the show is being recorded you can live chat with Adam, Dale and their guests, ask questions and comment. You can check out iPreach using iTunes here or on TalkShow.com here.

Engage! – Where Christ and Culture Meet

Engage!, hosted by Caleb O’Hara, Wesley Walker and Joe Wells, is a recent addition to the talk show podcast format. They discuss current, cultural issues from a Christian perspective. The show strives to deal with what is going on in the culture around us and to bring a biblical world view to it. They have had topics like; Sports and the Christian, Suffering, and even The Oscars. This show is recorded live on Monday evenings at 8:00 p.m. Central Time on Talkshow.com as well. You can check out Engage! using iTunes here or on TalkShow.com here. They have also built a website to provide additional material at www.engagepodcast.com.

Both of these podcasts show how how this tool can be expanded beyond just sermons. Imagine starting a talk show type podcast in an area where the church is just getting started. or a podcast that talks to teens about their issues as Christians, or a podcast discussing questions about the Bible. The possibilities are staggering if we will just look at these tools and ask ourselves how we can use them to build up the church and spread the message of the gospel.

Check out these two podcasts and let me know what you think. Also, if you know of other podcasts in the brotherhood, share them here. We would love to hear about them.