Jon Swanson is a pastor.
More precisely, he’s the executive pastor at Grabill Missionary Church. (His writing here doesn’t necessarily reflect the positions of that church.) So he is ordained.
He taught communication at the college level and then became an higher education administrator before starting to work at a church in 2000. So he does have a doctorate.
He and Nancy have been married for more than 25 years and have two children. So he is a husband and dad.
He started following Jesus when he was really little and has spent nearly five decades trying to understand what that following means.
If money didn’t matter, he would spend his time
- conversing with people who feel distant from God about what His love might look like,
- conversing with people who feel close to God about how to be more like Him, and
- creating stories and content which convey that love and acceptance and obedience.
And because money doesn’t matter as much as people, he get to spend a lot of time doing those three things.
And this website grows out of those delights.
And he knows it’s odd to write about himself in third person.
And he is grateful for Nancy, his wife of many years, and their two adult children, one of whom is married. So that’s three, isn’t it?
And you can follow him on twitter as @jnswanson. And email him at jnswanson at gmail dot com. And, thanks to Frank Reed, you can learn more about being a social media chaplain.
Hi Jon,
I’m a pastor of a church too, and interested in utilizing digital technology to connect people with God, their faith, and one another. A mutual friend gave me the url for your website and blog, and I’m really impressed! You’re an effective communicator with a heart for the gospel of grace. Any suggestions for me? Thanks!
Hi Jon,
I write a blog about being a young person going through life changes. Whether it be love, family or my career. I seek insight in everything and at times like this… it’s a very challenging thing to do. Especially at my age when materialism and an invincibility nature is extremely common.
Thank you for your inspiring words.
Bites of Banter
bitesofbanter.wordpress.com
Jon — I just found your website via Twitter. You should seriously consider tweeting 140 char snippets of your daily 300 word posts on Twitter. You would likely get a lot more people reading your great stuff!
Thanks for the 300 words!
thank you, Dave
I have a talent with words, Jon. I love to expand my horizon by reading different styles, such as yours. I look forward to returning often.
Let’s change that first word to “You” to be a little less self-centered. Freudian slip, maybe…
Hi Jon,
I was just introduced to 300 Words from a blog post by Chris Brogan. He mentioned that he was not Christian but held up your blog as something/someone he wanted to brag about. I now have your RSS feed hitting my inbox. Most of my feeds are in a reader but a precious few are lifted up to my email inbox so that I am confronted with their message every day. Yours is the best and its a great reminded for me to stop and reflect on Jesus and strengthen my faith. Thank you.
Pastor,
Fantastic blog. Anyone reaching the “un-churched” and “un-saved” is worthy of support, prayer, encouragement and reverence… and you have mine.
As Christians we have much work to do in order to reflect the love, grace and mercy of Christ in our society. Together with God’s leading, we can restore the soul of our nation and revive America.
[...] This is my first such video. To record this video, I used my Flip UltraHD video camera [amazon affiliate link] and the XShot Camera Extender [amazon affiliate link] I received as a gift from my friend Jon Swanson. [...]
I like your blog, but I’m intrigued by the way you start your personal introduction;
- pastor
- ordained
- doctor
- follower of Jesus
My short experience with the American version of “church” is that qualifications, seminary, titles (like pastor) and so forth, matter a great deal, yet are largely absent from 1st century church history.
There also seems to be a reliance upon men with these qualification, seminary training, and titles, to do much of the work Christ left for all believers to undertake, work now paid for by said believers.
I’m not sure this model is congruent with the church I read about in the Bible and the Church I experience every day.
Thanks for the blog, though.
Thanks, Mark, for the comments. For a long time in my online involvements I didn’t tell anyone about my “job”. I almost never talk about my credentials. For the very reasons you say. However, when I wrote this introduction, I decided to come clean about what I do to get paid so that no one is surprised.
What’s fun for me is that I don’t have any seminary training at all. What I’ve learned has been through study, conversation, and often, through writing here. The last thing that I planned to do was to end up on a church staff. But a decade ago, God didn’t leave much of an option for me.
So I understand your concern. I’m pretty sure, now, that whether I got paid by a group of people or not, I would be a pastor.
Hi Jon,
I learned of you from our friend Matt Fagioli. Matt and I have been friends for about 12 years now and attend the same church.
I just love what you’re doing here. We are very like-minded. I tend to see God in everyday experiences also. Matt has been on me to start a blog. Your’s is inspiring me.
One day soon I hope to get to meet you. Until then, I will continue to enjoy your 300 Words!
Thank you, and God bless you for obeying Him!
Robert Mallon
Hi Jon.
Thanks for your response. I’m glad you took my concerns in the spirit they were intended and it’s good to read your blog knowing that you’re truly called to serve as you currently are.
[...] big thanks goes to Jon Swanson for initiating this idea on Twitter earlier [...]
[...] big thanks goes to Jon Swanson for initiating this idea on Twitter earlier [...]
[...] bloggers do you idolize? Are there bloggers out there who inspire [...]
[...] bloggers do you idolize? Are there bloggers out there who inspire [...]
Dear Pastor Swanson,
I liked your blog very much. I learnt your blog from Chris Brogan’s 101.
I can’t write very well but I can express my faith through art and design.
Do you have any suggestion for my blog?
http://perrygoh.blogspot.com/
I want to touch more people just like you do.
Thank you & God Bless
Perry Goh
[...] Jon Swanson, aka The Social Media Chaplain, recently had a couple of posts (titled Focus and Away) that really got us thinking. Thanks to Chris Brogan for introducing us to Jon. [...]
And what’s wrong with speaking of yourself in the third person? Jesus did it all the time (i.e. ‘The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost’). And Paul did it once also. It’s perfectly normal.
I enjoy your blog!
dtjsoft.com