The web is a powerful tool for evangelism and social networking. I often focus my thoughts surrounding the web on how to drive people to the church’s door, to engage people in dialogue about their faith and as a means of outreach and evangelism.

While all of this is important, I want to take a moment to discuss how the web can be used internally for the benefit of small parishes in a diocesan structure, like the Diocese of Huron. While I have written before about how to implement a diocesan wide web strategy that would generate a professionally designed and developed website for every parish (See here) at a fraction of the cost to individuals parishes and save thousands in lost man-hours, today I want to focus instead on the community of the diocese and what it has to offer each other through the web.

Lacking on the diocesan website is resource material for clergy. We are all blessed with talents from God. Some people are liturgist, some are youth ministers, and some have gifts and talents surrounding stewardship and fundraising, to name but a few. The one thing clergy aren’t though is competent in all areas of ministry. We need support and material that we can access in our parishes in some key areas. I would leave it to the diocese to decide those key areas, but off the top of my head I would imagine stewardship materials, family life materials and liturgies approved for use in the diocese above and beyond the BAS and BCP would be on the top of that list.

The Diocese, like many non-profits, often outsources or hires people to develop these resources. Money is spent on staff in church house, a stewardship officer for example, while the clergy of the diocese with all the necessary and God given talents are asked instead to sit on yet another committee.

My suggestion would be to simply ask clergy who have interest, passion and ability in certain areas to develop resources instead of sitting on another committee. These resources and materials would then be hosted on the diocesan website and open to be accessed and tweaked according to individual contexts and requirements.

This is an easy and obvious low cost solution to the lack of resources available to clergy in their local contexts. Which got me thinking. Instead of simply sourcing a few details, or programs, why not source all the clergy and all their talents. Why not part of a diocesan web strategy and social media policy create a diocesan Wiki. (Definition just in case)

Theologically this makes sense, as the one body of Christ seeks to help and support each other. Furthermore it acknowledges that each of us has talents that God gave us and each of us can also share those talents as St Paul encourages (Romans 12:4-8, 1 Cor 12:12-31).

The question of cost would natural be of concern. How much to create and maintain a diocesan Wiki? Since the domain name diohuron.org is already owned, there would be no cost for wiki.diohuron.org. The same hosting would be used, therefore still keeping this at no cost. And there is free software already developed and open sourced.

The only barrier therefore is will. Is there a will on the part of the diocese to source the clergy? Do the clergy have the will to use, share and encourage each other? Is there a will as the church to explore new and fresh means of building, creating and supporting the church?

Where there is a will, there is a way and where there is a wiki, there is a community.