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Bronze baby! Bronze!

Jan 21st by Jon

Recently, Church Relevance.com created a list of the top 60 church blogs. The list was based on six different numerical stats (Number of sites that link to you, number of subscribers, Google page rank etc.). It included blogs from John Piper to Mark Driscoll, Christianity Today to Relevant Magazine and everyone in between. (The list is actually a great way to find great blogs like the ones mentioned above and much more. Check it out.)

Here is how Church Relevance described the list:
Regardless of how you label them, these are the world’s most popular church blogs written by many of today’s most influential church leaders, theologians, and Christ followers.

Stuff Christians Like was ranked 3rd.

That this site even made that list was pretty surprising. That it was 3rd is what the French call “ridiculous.”

But in looking at the list I realized something. That ranking isn’t just about me and what I write.

It’s also about you.

The stats that were used to build the list measure reader activity. Readers subscribing. Readers visiting. Readers linking. That’s you, not me. So what that means is not that I’m the third most influential Church blogger online, it means you are the third most influential group of Christian readers online.

So wow, you guys are awesome. I hope we can all enjoy our bronze medal.

I promise that I’m going to do everything I can to make this the best darn Christian blog ever. (See that, perfect example of today’s post about swearing. I close this post with a swear and people are probably going to run out of their front doors and sing the song “Open the Gates and Seize the Day” from the movie Newsies. Instead I said “darn” and you’re thinking, “ahh, that post was OK.”)

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Comments

SarahMae Jan 21, 2009

Congratulations!

Also, that’s the second reference to Newsies that you’ve made recently. I was obsessed with that movie as a teenager, so props!

Open the gates and seize the day
Don’t be afraid and don’t delay
Nothing can break us
No one came make us
Give our rights away!
Arise and seize the day!

Wow. I just quoted that entirely from memory. I creeped myself out.

WV: enerses. A form of energy, inertia, and synergy felt in large groups of people. Example: Wow, that concert was full of enerses!

I.H.S. Jan 21, 2009

Congrats on the Bronze. I like to think it’s a Metro-Atl thing, you we do have oodles of churches so it stands to reason that someone from here should make the top three.

WV: mondu= Jamaican speak for “man do you know…”

sonneta Jan 21, 2009

Hey, three is one of God's favorite numbers, you know. So clearly we are way more holy than #1 and #2 on the list. (Am I now going to receive Christian hate mail from Tim Challies & Justin Taylor? Possibly.)

Don't be afraid and don't delay!

Dagný Jan 21, 2009

Congrats! That’s really amazing!

And I love that you love Newsies!

It’s such a great movie! :)

Courtney Jan 21, 2009

WOOOOO!! Yeah SCL! :) That’s awesome, Jon!!

Jim and Karen Osler Jan 21, 2009

God is using you for a reason. I am so happy for you and the blog and the people it’s reaching!

wv- skyamic

Ryan B Jan 21, 2009

Congratulations man. It may be the readers who provide the witty comments and all that jazz but it is you who inspire and make us laugh. Keep it up. It’s awesome.

Steph Jan 21, 2009

You show off, lol! You totally just wanted us to know you ranked
3rd! We all know WE are only here because of YOUR great writing. 3rd is great and YES Jon, we are crazy about you and SCL! Congrats!

jenn Jan 21, 2009

Congrats! That’s awesome.

HaVeFuN Jan 21, 2009

3 is a really Holy number… think trinity…

congratulations Jon!

WV- chalin… kinda like chillin… but less relaxed…

Donna Jan 21, 2009

woo hoo Jon!!

katdish Jan 21, 2009

Who says sarcasm isn’t a spiritual gift?

Sadly, I will have to stop reading your blog. I’m way too much of a freaky non-conformist to be reading something so popular. It’s been fun. Thanks for the memories…

Signing off for the last time (sniff, sniff),

Katdish

katdish Jan 21, 2009

Oh, just kidding home fry!

Congrats to Jon and all the ridiculously amazing commenters on this blog!

Kat Jan 21, 2009

This is the story you wanted to write
Well, tonight is the night that you can
Just get this done and by dawn’s early light
You can finish the fight you began

This time we’re in it to stay
Think about seizing the day
Think of that train
As she rolls into old Santa Fe
Tell ‘em I’m on my way

I figured that quote would inspire you in your further blogging and encourage you in your referencing of Newsies in future blog posts :)

Beth Jan 21, 2009

Wow. Crazy sweet.

Skittles for everyone! Skittles for everyone!

Stacy from Louisville Jan 21, 2009

That’s the last time you inch me out Acuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christine Jan 21, 2009

Hmmmm…the site is #3 because of the readers, the linkers, the subscribers? Methinks not.

There’s a reason we all read, link and subscribe and it’s because you’ve managed to do something, which, when it happens at a church-related enterprise, gets people on board faster than generic cookies and arm-stirred orange drink. It’s how you make it very clear that this site is about being real. This site puts a microscope on all the stuff that people who don’t “do” church complain about when they talk about Christians. This site is not “holier than thou”, it’s funny as all get out, when you screw up you admit it. You can make us cry with laughter at something as absurd as a crock pot at a church potluck and then weep with appreciation for your posts on porn addiction or insecurity in your faith. It pokes fun at sacred cows and brings light to “taboo” Christian subjects. It’s frank and it’s honest and it doesn’t leave people wondering where they stand in realtionship to the “perfect” people they find here. Fallibility is attractive! That’s my opinion anyway.

We wouldn’t be linking, reading and subscribing if the content wasn’t worth those efforts. Like Jim and Karen said above, I believe God is using you to help further His kingdom on Earth. I can’t imagine anyone here thinking it’s all about you – but it’s fabulous to be witness to wonderful things God’s accomplishing thru you and by extension, this site.

Congrats on being #3…or second loser as my overly competitive brother would say ;)

WV: gizan

Anonymous Jan 21, 2009

Congrats. I guess that Mark Driscoll only thinks he’s all that.

Ariel Jan 21, 2009

So are you working on some sort of rotation schedule for said medal? I’m sure many of us would like to proudly display it in our homes.

I have the perfect place for it, right between my macaroni art and my Skittles plaque. =)

JC Lamont Jan 21, 2009

Congratulations! That’s awesome. God is really using you.

andy Jan 21, 2009

Awesome.

I also noticed one little fact about the ranking themselves. One of the categories was “bs” and guess what you were second. You have the second most bs of anybody else!! Only Challies has more and personally I think that is a load…

bs stood for something like blogline supporters but lets just pretend it didn’t. It is just like the POT (preparation, orientation, and training) trip for missions trips.

Rob Jan 21, 2009

Suck on that Driscoll. JK – but really.

martdy Jan 21, 2009

You have the 2nd highest BS rating!

synapticlight.com Jan 21, 2009

Very cool to be a part of some many lives. Although I find myself more interested in the numbers that the lives. hmmmm, time for a shift of attitude I say – for me that is.

Anyway, pretty cool blog.

Shark Bait Jan 21, 2009

When you are rich and famous, don’t forget the little people who made you that way.

And they don’t really come much littler than me. :-)

But seriously, it does tell us something interesting. (Apart from the fact that we are all slightly mad) It tells us that we as Christians can have a twisted sense of humour; and it tells us that the problems and challenges you blog about are relevant to more than just one or two people.

Keep it up, we want to see you being at least the first loser next time around.

heartafire Jan 21, 2009

Christine said it best for all of us!

Marni Jan 21, 2009

Were Stacy and Curtis gold and sliver, respectively?

Marni Jan 21, 2009

silver…not sliver. Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet…

Kendra Jan 21, 2009

I think the funniest part of it to me is how fancy-schmancy the other blogs look and how yours is still the original blogger template.

The other thing that was cook is that I already ahd a meeting scheduled with that Kent Shaffer guy of the blog that compiled it. Glad I knew about this before going into it so I can now make a nice comment about it.

Stacy from Louisville Jan 21, 2009

Thought of a new name for you book based on your bronze moment:

Stuff christians Like: Less Hits Than eBay but still…

Lucy Jan 21, 2009

Kudos Jon. SCL and Newsies both rock.

maretta Jan 21, 2009

Congratulations! I’ve been a fan of your blog for a few months now when I found it through another blog. Anyway, I’ve also been telling all my friends about it because I love it so much. I often call a friend and read it to her over the phone (or try to get the words out while I’m laughing), so maybe I helped make you 3rd??? :-)

wv: sneti. The plural of snet.

Jen Jan 21, 2009

Congrats!

Ryan Tate Jan 21, 2009

#3 on the top 60 list, but…#1 in our hearts.

Who knew that pretending to like C.S Lewis could get you so far.

And don’t forget to thank all those people that googled “porn” and ended up on your site.

It’s all for the glory of God – and we know you know that.

Vicki in NC Jan 21, 2009

Did you know your site was also featured last week on the program “Wretched” with Todd Friel? And in a good way!

Congrats!
Vicki

mistymorningmountain Jan 21, 2009

Ooooo! I thought of a book title too!

“Stuff Christians Like: How ya like me NOW melon farmer?!”

robyn blaikie collins Jan 22, 2009

yeah…. i knew it was imminent… did i mispell that? regardless… thanks for your consistency…

Catherine Jan 22, 2009

Razzle dazzle, Jon! This is awesome. And the icing on the cake is the Newsies reference. You rock!

WV: sesit “When I wants somethin’, I sesit.”