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e-Newsletter - Volume 3, Number 30 Christian College and TransformingTheChurch.org have launched a FREE online special-interest learning community for church leaders who oversee church websites and the other Internet assets of the church. This online community is dedicated to teaching the planning, building and operating the online assets of churches. The community allows interactive participation among its members as well as with subject-matter experts dedicated to mentoring the community. Membership in the community is FREE and requires only a simple registration to join. Membership provides full access and participation in all of its interactive features. To Register: To give you a preview look at the content inside this special-interest community, we have provided free public samples our popular Online Ministries Blog. Check it out. These are only samples; to see the full text of the blog, it comments from members, be able to make your own comments and see all of the other premium content available, please register into the community. It is FREE!
Click here or on the button above to see the list of all of the samples or click on the links below to see each individual sample. Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts - Part 2 From: 04/15/2013 Abstract: In the first part of this series, I wrote about an all-too-common situation; one that I see so often, I have given it the name, “Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts.” I described a situation where someone with a great deal of technical prowess, a geek, produced an initial tactical success of producing a nice website but ended up with a strategic failure by having a site that couldn’t be updated with fresh content often enough, or sometimes at all. The battle was won but the war was lost. In the second part of this series, I am going to discuss why things went wrong; the root of why things turned out as they did. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts - Part 1 From: 04/12/2013 Abstract: I just have to share this story. For the last couple of days I have been in a running dialog with the pastor of moderate-sized 500-member church in an affluent suburb of large urban city in the southwest who is a long-time acquaintance. He has a mess on his hands. It is a story that I have heard often but his is an extreme case, one that provides a teachable moment. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Minimal Editorial Skills Needed For A Church Webmaster To Thrive From: 04/11/2013 Abstract: In yesterday’s blog posting, I discussed organizing an online ministry team around a traditional publication model. Today, I’m going to drill down into the functions of the editorial department and the department's leader: the webmaster. Please note that a webmaster might perform additional functions in other department too, like production and circulation. However, today, I’m only going to discuss editorial functions. Also, in this posting, I will only discuss entry-level skills for a webmaster or the minimum skills need to do well in the position. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Organizing the Management of Online Ministries From: 04/10/2013 Abstract: All of the components of a church’s Internet presence can be managed just like any newspaper or periodical; like any traditional paper-based publication. In all actuality, church websites and social media presences are electronic publications where web servers merely replace the traditional printing press. The organization of traditional publications provides an organizational model that is an excellent analog for managing any church’s Internet presence. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
What Can Be Destination Content? From: 04/09/2013 Abstract: Destination content can be any content that causes a significant number of potential visitors to actually visit your website and return later for more. Put simply, destination content is worthy; worthy of visitors’ time in their initial visits and worthy of their return visits tomorrow, next week or next month. Good destination content is the “procuring cause” for visits. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Destination Content From: 04/08/2013 Abstract: In online ministries, more is good! More unique visitors to a website, more pages viewed, more friends on Facebook, more followers on Twitter. The more the merrier. It is one of the basic roles of anybody who manages the Internet presence of a church or ministry is to get more visitors, views, friends and followers. These are the important results of the entire online enterprise and an important reason for the endeavor. Simple enough of an observation but “Okay, how?” is a much more interesting question. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Grrr .... Browsers! From: 04/05/2013 Abstract: Differences in browsers are the bane of any webmaster’s existence. The impact of frequent updates to browsers make things even more interesting. It is just part of the realities of our technical life. About the only thing one can do is occasional mutter through clinched teeth, “Grrr … browsers!” In case you are wondering, it is a pejorative phrase. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Using Content to Drive Online Dialogs From: 04/04/2013 Abstract: You can put web pages or social media postings out there but your visitors will have to respond and you will need to entice them to do so. Causing a visitor to speak up does require some work on your part. You have to create content that entices a visitor to speak; to say something to you. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
All Content Should Be Social From: 04/03/2013 Abstract: Why do some people think that powerful social interaction is the sole province of Facebook? It is very limited thinking to believe that social content can only appear on the large consumer social media sites. A large percentage of your church's entire website should be social in nature by providing the mechanisms for generating, collecting and displaying what your visitors are willing to share. All online content should be social! Church websites should be social. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Do You Know Where You Stand? From: 04/02/2013 Abstract: A homily says, "You can't manage what you can't measure." If you don’t know a great deal about how how many people are visiting your website, who they are and how people are using your Internet assets, you will never know how effective your online ministry is doing. You will not know how to make changes to become more effective. Worse, you could make uninformed changes that could easily do more harm than good! Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Way of the Cross In Two Traditions From: 03/29/2013 Abstract: On the Good Friday holiday, I'm using two different traditions for my personal reflection on the day using the Stations of the Cross. For art, I'm using the older classical tradition. For the text, I'm using the "The Scriptural Way of the Cross" inaugurated by Pope John Paul II on Good Friday, 1991. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Community Building Requires Interaction From: 03/28/2013 Abstract: You will often hear me discussing the definition of community that I use the most: "a community is a group of organisms interacting in a shared environment." We're going to encourage you to participate in our community at every opportunity. At times, we even going to implore you to because the more people who participate -- interact -- the more vibrant our community will become. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
It's Simple; Dialog and Interaction Build Community From: 03/27/2013 Abstract: Communities that are connected allow extended dialogs among groups of people who would not otherwise meet and speak with each other. As powerful as dialogs are among individual participants, the effects are compounded among whole groups of people as synergies result from group-based dialogs. It is easy to find and interact with its members even at great distance. It creates simple ways for people to find, meet, greet, work and collaborate with our neighbors near and far and hopefully, also along the way, build a stronger sense of community or create one where it didn't previously exist. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Online Ministries Begin As “Ministries of Listening” From: 03/26/2013 Abstract: Every Christian has a "ministry of listening" to do. This wisdom applies to websites as well! Online ministries are about building REAL relationships with people in VIRTUAL worlds. The virtual world functions very much like the physical world and, like the physical world, relationships begin with listening. Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting.
Don't Build a Website ... Build a Web Ministry! From: 03/25/2013 Abstract: Churches need EFFECTIVE websites that are fully-integrated with social media and other Internet assets. Much more than just a container for your address and telephone number and some long-stale static brochure-type information, but something that engages your parish, reflects the Christian community of your church, causes visitors to return to the site frequently for more and (most importantly) listens and engages in dialog with your visitors. Done correctly, an effective website becomes a true ministry in every sense of the word! Click here to read the full public sample of this blog posting. |
Christian College and TransformingTheChurch.org have endeavored to make this community as RELEVANT and as ACCESSIBLE to as many pastors and church leaders as possible. We have made access to this community FREE in order to ensure that even those on a “lean” professional development or educational budget can participate.
Also, since access is FREE, any and all interested volunteers from churches are welcome to join. This is not only fresh, new content on an important subject, but the community affords direct interaction with subject-matter experts and mentors. We believe that the VALUE is unsurpassed, and we offer this community to the Church and Her Servants with hopes that you can participate.
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