Here are some things that the Catholic Church must do if she wants to maximize her efforts in the New Evangelization. These are addressed to both leaders and laity. I know there aren’t a lot of pat answers to this stuff, but here are a bunch of them anyway.
She must:
- Become an expert in New Media.
- Learn, follow and participate in popular trends.
- Speak the language fluently.
- Forget the trends and be herself.
- Not pretend to be perfect, but…
- ...know that the truth she defends and protects is.
- Be not afraid…and take some chances.
- Assert her role as teacher and bulwark of truth.
- Be real.
- Follow the rules.
- Be creative.
- Break the rules.
- Meet people where they’re at…
- ...they are online.
- Make the rules.
- Remember that perception is not reality, but…
- ...perception still matters.
- Remember that she has more inside knowledge and experience in relating to the public (PR) than anyone and to…
- ...use that knowledge.
- Worry about what is cool.
- Build intimate relationships with her people.
- Not worry about what is cool.
- Lighten up about things.
- Get serious about things.
- Know that it’s not about New Media, it’s about the human person but…
- ...the human person is being formed and deformed by New Media.
- Let go of some things that don’t matter that much…
- ...hold tight to the things that do.
- Follow the example of others.
- Know that the devil is at war in New Media…
- ...join the war.
- Be the example.
- Invest heavily in New Media…
- ...especially Catholic New Media run by lay persons.
- Inspire and empower the Michelangelo’s and the Beethoven’s…
- ...get out of their way.
- Always preach the truth and…
- ...when necessary, use hyperlinks, websites, email, txt msgs, tweets and status messages.
- Remember new technologies are just a means, not an end…
- ...help those of us using such means to reach the end.
- Realize that it IS a beauty contest and…
- ...that she’s been given the most beautiful things of all.