The power of podcasts

THE way we communicate is in a continuous flux, from using emojis (small digital images to express emotions and ideas) to new words appearing in the dictionary every year. We are continually expanding the way we communicate to each other.

Last month regular readers will recall my piece about the new social media formats on the platform TikTok. Yet one format that has bucked this trend is podcasts. They have been around for a long time. However in 2022 they reached recordbreaking download figures. This could well be a media trend that congregations wary of the ‘changing media trends’ might consider embracing to help connect with their communities. Podcasts look like they will be around for a while.

So what is it about the podcast that is making it so popular? It’s to do with how and when you can access it. Podcasts are ideal travelling companions. Whether you are commuting or out jogging or just chilling out. The podcast is there to be listened to at your convenience. No need to watch a screen, it’s on your phone in your pocket, so you can be multitasking as you listen.

What started off as short ten minute soundbites more than ten years ago, have now developed into a medium that favours much longer formats making it ideal to listen to on a 40 minute car journey or train ride. Podcasts have become the topic of conversation as friends share with each other their favourite broadcasts. Whether you’re a bookworm or a gardener or a music junkie or a sports fan, there is a podcast out there for you. The creators also understand that the success of the podcasts relies on the interaction between the listeners and the presenters.

Sanctuary First has regular monthly podcasts. One is entitled, Time of the Month, a podcast focused on women’s issues. Each month Laura Digan and Linda Pollock, both ministers of the Kirk, welcome a guest to discuss the women of the Bible - the well-known women, the loved women, the unnamed women and the forgotten women. Each month they spend time, where possible, talking about issues affecting women today in relation to the character they have been exploring. The Late Show is another podcast series featuring an informal mix of discussion, interviews, spoken word and music. Together the presenters Albert Bogle, Iain Jamieson, and Laura Digan and James Cathcart explore what it means to laugh, cry and wonder at life in all its rawness as followers of Jesus in the 21st century.

Last month we launched a new podcast series entitled ‘Emerging Emmaus’. It looks at ‘Lament and Grief’ as appropriate in the face of loss. The pain of teachers, nurses, doctors, railway workers, church ministers and congregations (et al) is all too real. The emerging Emmaus story offers us a journey and framework of comfort, courage, and creativity. It points to ‘Jesus alongside us ’ in our short-sightedness.

Sanctuary First is delighted to present this re-framing of our own stories with this biweekly podcast. ‘Emerging Emmaus’ is presented by Neil Urquhart, Steve Aisthorpe, and Ruth Kennedy and together they discuss with people from across Scotland, the UK and the world, what it means to allow Jesus to renew our vision and vigour for His New Life. Perhaps having read this article you’ll become one of the growing band of podcast listeners. Check out the podcasts at www.sanctuaryfirst.org.uk/podcast¤

If you’d like to think more about your congregation’s digital strategy and the groups of people online you’d like to connect with, please feel free to email me at contact@ sanctuaryfirst.org.uk. The Sanctuary First team are excited about the new updates to our app. Why not download it and give us your feedback? We too are learning how to connect with a wider community and hopefully more Life and Work readers.