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Lynne Baab

University of Otago, Theology and Religious Studies, Faculty Member

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Lynne M. Baab is the author of numerous books:
- Reaching Out in a Networked World: Expressing Your Congregation's Heart and Soul
- Fasting: Spiritual Freedom Beyond Our Appetites
- Sabbath Keeping: Finding Freedom in the Rhythms of Rest
- Beating Burnout in Congregations
- A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife
- Embracing Midlife: Congregations as Support Systems
- Personality Type in Congregations

Lynne is a Presbyterian Minister, ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), and has a PhD in communication from the University of Washington

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University of Adelaide

University of California, San Diego

The University of Hong Kong

Mohammed Nasser

Wasit University

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Crispin Thurlow

University of Bern, Switzerland

Università degli Studi di Firenze (University of Florence)

Northern Michigan University

New Mexico State University

José Aldemar Álvarez Valencia

Universidad del Valle - Colombia

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Papers by Lynne Baab

Chapter Two Conceptual Framework: Organizations, Rhetoric of the Web, and Social Semiotics

Chapter Five Demand, Diversity, and Community: An Interpretive

Chapter Four Worldviews and Values: A Descriptive Analysis

Organizational websites use photos, words of invitation, mission statements, descriptions of acti... more Organizational websites use photos, words of invitation, mission statements, descriptions of activities, links to pages within the website, and links to outside organizations to communicate the uniqueness of their organization and to convey an invitation to engage in some way with their goals. Congregations, a particular type of organization, use websites to serve two audiences, potential visitors and current members/attenders, and they use linguistic and visual resources strategically to address those two audiences. Based on an in-depth study of six congregational websites, and after working with a website designer to refine my ideas, I came up with a list of more than 100 website features, including photographs, kinds of verbal content, specific words, and types of links that appear on many congregational websites. This chapter reports on the results of a study of 60 websites using the research method of content analysis. Each of the websites was examined for the more than 100 features. 16 The 60 websites -20 each from distinct samples of megachurches, vibrant liberal/mainline churches, and emergent churches -are closely representative of the three kinds of congregations. As a result, generalizations can be made with some confidence from the data. These data are descriptive; they present an overview of the website features and vocabulary that occur on the three kinds of sites and the ways these features contribute to my conceptual framework. Content analysis can provide "indicators of worldviews, values, attitudes, opinions, prejudices and stereotypes, and compare these across communities" (Bauer, 2002, p. 133, 134), and the variables presented in this chapter 16 Homepages of the 60 church websites were examined for verbal text, photos, graphics, and links. In addition, pages that had information for newcomers; statements of the congregation's vision, purpose or values; or frequently asked questions were examined for verbal text only. The additional pages are called "other pages" in the tables in this chapter.

Chapter One American Protestant Congregations and their Future Protestant Christianity has had a prominent place in public life in the United

Chapter Six Enterprise, Online Communication, and Community: A Critical Analysis Including Interviews

Chapter Seven The Websites and the Congregations

and look of each publication. In 1998 and 1999, some members of the congregation began talking ab... more and look of each publication. In 1998 and 1999, some members of the congregation began talking about having a congregational website. I was not particularly interested at first, but, wanting to encourage lay leadership, I gave them token support. They obtained a URL, and a volunteer designed a site. For the first year or two, I seldom looked at the site. Another volunteer redesigned the site in the early 2000s, and began asking for advice from me more frequently. By the time I left that church in 2004, I was beginning to gain some enthusiasm for the positive online opportunities for congregations. When I began to plan this dissertation, it quickly became clear that congregational communication with both newcomers and members was moving off paper and onto the web, and that websites were becoming a principal medium for expressing organizational identity. Congregational identity was my first interest, and I decided to study persuasion as well because so many aspects of identity are revealed through the ways persuasion is exercised. When I began this study I had no idea of the variety of things that churches were doing on their websites. I didn't know they were using websites to sign people up for activities, to enable online donations, to sell religious books and CDs, to connect viewers to so many denominations and community organizations, to advertise blood drives and motorcycle fellowships and a host of other unexpected activities. A second joy of this study has been to immerse myself in the issues related to the website medium, and begin to see more of the possibilities for congregations as they use websites. In this concluding chapter, I begin my summary of this study by discussing the value of a communication perspective on these matters. I then turn to a focus on the website medium and I summarize my findings in that area. Then I consider the congregations themselves and what can be said about them from this study of their websites.

Paradigm of Metaphor, Narrative, and Chaos Chapter One: Real Relationships

Personality type in congregations: How to work with others more effectively

Washington, DC: Alban Institute, Jan 1, 1998

An academic directory and search engine.

Sabbath keeping: finding freedom in the rhythms of rest

... We live in an age of hurry, an age of mul-titasking and stress; we could not need Lynne Baab&... more ... We live in an age of hurry, an age of mul-titasking and stress; we could not need Lynne Baab&amp;amp;#x27;s book more.&amp;amp;quot; Lauren F. Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath &amp;amp;quot;Finally we have a book on the sabbath that avoids the polemics of sabbath law and recovers the ...

Beating Burnout in Congregations

the future church: Identity and Persuasion on Congregational Websites

Fasting: Spiritual Freedom Beyond Our Appetites

... Design: Cindy Kiple Images: Doable/Getty Images ISBN-10: 0-8308-3501-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-8308-35... more

Portraits of the Future Church: A Rhetorical Analysis of Congregational Websites

Journal of Communication and Religion, Jan 1, 2008

Embracing Midlife: congregations as support systems

Prayers of the New Testament

A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife

Friending: Real Relationships in a Virtual World

Prayers of the Old Testament: 8 Studies for Individuals Or Groups

Page 1. Over 10 Million I.ifcGuidcs So PRAYERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 8 STUDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS OR ... more

Nurturing Lifelong Faith Online

faithformationlearningexchange.net

Art Has its Reasons: The Emerging Role of the Arts in Protestant Congregations

The Academy of Homiletics

Chapter Two Conceptual Framework: Organizations, Rhetoric of the Web, and Social Semiotics

Chapter Five Demand, Diversity, and Community: An Interpretive

Chapter Four Worldviews and Values: A Descriptive Analysis

Organizational websites use photos, words of invitation, mission statements, descriptions of acti... more Organizational websites use photos, words of invitation, mission statements, descriptions of activities, links to pages within the website, and links to outside organizations to communicate the uniqueness of their organization and to convey an invitation to engage in some way with their goals. Congregations, a particular type of organization, use websites to serve two audiences, potential visitors and current members/attenders, and they use linguistic and visual resources strategically to address those two audiences. Based on an in-depth study of six congregational websites, and after working with a website designer to refine my ideas, I came up with a list of more than 100 website features, including photographs, kinds of verbal content, specific words, and types of links that appear on many congregational websites. This chapter reports on the results of a study of 60 websites using the research method of content analysis. Each of the websites was examined for the more than 100 features. 16 The 60 websites -20 each from distinct samples of megachurches, vibrant liberal/mainline churches, and emergent churches -are closely representative of the three kinds of congregations. As a result, generalizations can be made with some confidence from the data. These data are descriptive; they present an overview of the website features and vocabulary that occur on the three kinds of sites and the ways these features contribute to my conceptual framework. Content analysis can provide "indicators of worldviews, values, attitudes, opinions, prejudices and stereotypes, and compare these across communities" (Bauer, 2002, p. 133, 134), and the variables presented in this chapter 16 Homepages of the 60 church websites were examined for verbal text, photos, graphics, and links. In addition, pages that had information for newcomers; statements of the congregation's vision, purpose or values; or frequently asked questions were examined for verbal text only. The additional pages are called "other pages" in the tables in this chapter.

Chapter One American Protestant Congregations and their Future Protestant Christianity has had a prominent place in public life in the United

Chapter Six Enterprise, Online Communication, and Community: A Critical Analysis Including Interviews

Chapter Seven The Websites and the Congregations

and look of each publication. In 1998 and 1999, some members of the congregation began talking ab... more and look of each publication. In 1998 and 1999, some members of the congregation began talking about having a congregational website. I was not particularly interested at first, but, wanting to encourage lay leadership, I gave them token support. They obtained a URL, and a volunteer designed a site. For the first year or two, I seldom looked at the site. Another volunteer redesigned the site in the early 2000s, and began asking for advice from me more frequently. By the time I left that church in 2004, I was beginning to gain some enthusiasm for the positive online opportunities for congregations. When I began to plan this dissertation, it quickly became clear that congregational communication with both newcomers and members was moving off paper and onto the web, and that websites were becoming a principal medium for expressing organizational identity. Congregational identity was my first interest, and I decided to study persuasion as well because so many aspects of identity are revealed through the ways persuasion is exercised. When I began this study I had no idea of the variety of things that churches were doing on their websites. I didn't know they were using websites to sign people up for activities, to enable online donations, to sell religious books and CDs, to connect viewers to so many denominations and community organizations, to advertise blood drives and motorcycle fellowships and a host of other unexpected activities. A second joy of this study has been to immerse myself in the issues related to the website medium, and begin to see more of the possibilities for congregations as they use websites. In this concluding chapter, I begin my summary of this study by discussing the value of a communication perspective on these matters. I then turn to a focus on the website medium and I summarize my findings in that area. Then I consider the congregations themselves and what can be said about them from this study of their websites.

Paradigm of Metaphor, Narrative, and Chaos Chapter One: Real Relationships

Personality type in congregations: How to work with others more effectively

Washington, DC: Alban Institute, Jan 1, 1998

An academic directory and search engine.

Sabbath keeping: finding freedom in the rhythms of rest

... We live in an age of hurry, an age of mul-titasking and stress; we could not need Lynne Baab&... more ... We live in an age of hurry, an age of mul-titasking and stress; we could not need Lynne Baab&amp;amp;#x27;s book more.&amp;amp;quot; Lauren F. Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Mudhouse Sabbath &amp;amp;quot;Finally we have a book on the sabbath that avoids the polemics of sabbath law and recovers the ...

Beating Burnout in Congregations

the future church: Identity and Persuasion on Congregational Websites

Fasting: Spiritual Freedom Beyond Our Appetites

... Design: Cindy Kiple Images: Doable/Getty Images ISBN-10: 0-8308-3501-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-8308-35... more

Portraits of the Future Church: A Rhetorical Analysis of Congregational Websites

Journal of Communication and Religion, Jan 1, 2008

Embracing Midlife: congregations as support systems

Prayers of the New Testament

A Renewed Spirituality: Finding Fresh Paths at Midlife

Friending: Real Relationships in a Virtual World

Prayers of the Old Testament: 8 Studies for Individuals Or Groups

Page 1. Over 10 Million I.ifcGuidcs So PRAYERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 8 STUDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS OR ... more

Nurturing Lifelong Faith Online

faithformationlearningexchange.net

Art Has its Reasons: The Emerging Role of the Arts in Protestant Congregations

The Academy of Homiletics