Some good things going on in the Church:

Coming Soon: New Book on the Church and New Media - I’m honored to get to be a part of this effort (writing a chapter) and even more excited about the many other authors involved in writing the book that are far more worthy than I am. (Oh, and 4 of the contributors happen to be Texas Aggie Catholics - Whoop!)

Social Media Tipping Point - Will 2011 be a social media tipping point for the Catholic Church in the United States?  Jeff Geerling thinks so. I think so, too. I can feel good things a-comin’. And I think some serious ground work for it to happen on a large scale is going to happen in 2011 at some serious levels within the Church. You may not see all of the fruits of it in 2011, but I think we’ll look back on 2011 in the future as being a key tipping point in this important effort.

Good use of social media - A great example of the effectiveness and use of social media by a company to administer a little damage control and to reach out and respond to people. What a wonderful tool for any large, important organization who is regularly attacked, dealing with damage control, trying to build relationships with people, etc. (hint…hint).

Pope BXVI’s General Prayer Intention for Jan 2010/2011 - “That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society.” (FYI - This was actually Jan 2010 intention, but they accidentally sent it out again this year as Jan 2011 by mistake. However, I think it’s still a good one. So I’m going with it.)

12 Bits of Advice at 50 - Fr. Martin has 12 bits of wisdom he shared on his 50th birthday. Happy birthday, Fr. Martin! #4 was my favorite.

Poor Clare professes living the Gospel in poverty - Neat story and well done video. A good example of using the media to tell a Catholic story.

Connecting with Youth via Facebook - Some good insights from a CCD teacher on connecting with youth via Facebook.

75+ Ways to do Good with Social Media - Some of these are good. Some are silly. But I think Catholic organizations can get a lot of good idea on how to apply some of this stuff or something similar to the work of the Church.

Authentic Remedy - A simple effort for helping give some people in need some clean, running water. Additionally, I think it’s a great example of how to elegantly present a charity opportunity on an outstanding website and with the use of new media.

Free Listing for your Website - List your ministry, website, blog, org, etc. for free on the Catholic Tech Talk website.

Early Warning Signs of a Catholic Losing Their Faith - Good stuff from Patrick Madrid and the Envoy Institute.

The Understanding the Scriptures Podcast - A 30-week online audio Scripture study that takes you from Genesis to Jesus, though the entire Bible. 100% audio. 100% free.

Have a good Friday and great weekend everyone!