The Personal Touch: Using the Web to Connect Believers in the Local Church
In a world in which we have endless ways to communicate, people are disconnected from each other. The internet provides an opportunity to reconnect with other believers.
Let's discuss how churches can communicate well using websites, social media, and other tools.
Here you'll find resources posted by individuals, churches, and ministries. Add comments, give a 'thumbs up', or post your own. Can't find something? Use the chat box to let us know.
In a world in which we have endless ways to communicate, people are disconnected from each other. The internet provides an opportunity to reconnect with other believers.
Choosing a domain name is an important choice for a church's online presence. Following are guidelines and unspoken conventions for choosing a domain name for a church.
More and more churches have realized the benefits of sharing their sermons online. Here are some basic steps to know what and how to podcast.
Does your church not currently have a website? Is it unmaintained or out-of-date? Any church website should at least have the following basic information.
What does having a simple church website involve? Read the below list of principles to help keep your website simple. Give visitors a reason to stay, not to leave!
Questions about how to record or stream worship services have come up several times in our Church and Web network. I thought it might be helpful if I brought information together in one place.
What would you save if your house was on fire? Many people answer, “My family photos.” Family photos are precious. Our church is a family, too, and it is good to figure out the best way to store our church family photos.
Several years ago, I started an electronic prayer chain for our church using Google groups. All anyone needs is an email address—no more technical skill is necessary than the ability to read their own email. It’s been the easiest thing ever to create and maintain.
Does your church website have a welcome video? I read this Church Juice blog entry and was intrigued by the idea. It seems that, if the video is well done, this could be a very effective tool for your church.
Backup! It’s so necessary, but figuring out the best method for set up and maintenance can be a real quandary. There are so many options. I’ll talk about some, but I’m sure I won’t cover everything. Please share recommendations and feedback from your experience.
Most likely your church is using images in many ministry areas—on your website, bulletins, Power Point slides, posters, etc. Creative Commons licenses were made for the way most people use the web. Many times people are willing to share their images, as long as they get credit.
Why would your church use YouTube? And how to use it?
Here are 5 reasons why your church should consider using Twitter to create relationships within your community.
Here are a few tips (focusing mainly on PDFs) to keep in mind as your church disseminates information via email, your church website or any other electronic means.
Salesforce, like Google Apps, is available to non-profits for free. I am writing this article to tell you about how I've set up Salesforce for our church to track membership and our offerings.
I’ve seen many guidelines about what should and should not be done with worship slide shows. Here are a few that I personally ascribe to, specific to song lyric slides.
Does your church use a wireless network? This article in the New York Times Technology section has some good tips on wi-fi security.
An online storage site is an easy way to share files with groups of people—such as teams or committees. There are many free and low-priced services for online storage.
Ever wonder why using Facebook and/or Twitter for your church would be a good idea? Here's a webinar that will help you with this and many other questions.
Below is a list of the articles or blogs that I consider some of our “Church and Web” top entries.
Our church has used craigslist for projector light bulbs and sound equipment. Craigslist goes beyond the garage sale concept. It is also a way to find workers or services, or to look for work. It’s really almost unlimited what you can find on craigslist.
Do any of you use texting in your church? I think it’s a promising idea. Some churches encourage texting during church services, some use it for sending news, encouragement, prayer requests, whatever information they wish to share.
The two biggest reasons your church would want Google Apps are (1) you don't need any hardware or software — no server, no software licenses to buy — and (2) it's free to non-profits!
“If it isn’t on Facebook, it hasn’t really happened,” a friend‘s daughter told me. Although it’s said jokingly, if something is that vital to people, doesn’t it make sense to look for ways that God can use it?
Salesforce, like Google Apps, is available to non-profits for free, so I truly am not selling anything. I am writing this article to tell you about how I've set up Salesforce for our church to track membership and our offerings.