Tim Postuma

Great news, folks. Google has changed their eligibility guidelines and churches may again apply for the non-profit version of Google Apps!

Some links:

• blog post about it
• Google employee's post in discussion forum
• new eligibility guidelines

Enjoy, and spread the word!

Unfortunately, Canadian nonprofits still can't apply for this. Hope they change that soon! But in the meantime, you can still get started with their regular free version or their $60/user/year paid version.

Thanks for your interest and enthusiasm, Fred.

You're absolutely right...we need to spread the word even more. Last week we sent this email to every Christian Reformed Church, asking them to forward it to their congregation. Hopefully they do, and maybe a 'nudge' from someone in the church would help!

Show and tell really helps...and we'd love to visit churches and classes. We've discussed the latter but the tough part is staffing and expenses. This online Network has a modest budget and no full time staff. We're hoping the word can spread from person to person within churches and between churches. In other word, we're counting on YOU and people like you to help!

Here are some other tips for spreading the word in your church. And we're hoping to soon update this video tour so people can show it in councils, classes, or wherever ministry leaders are gathered.

The momentum is growing. We're getting about 15,000 pageviews per week - a 50% increase in just the past month. But the potential is still so much more - most people involved in local church ministries haven't yet joined The Network.

Other ideas? What else can we do to get more people connecting on The Network?

Thanks. I love the idea of having Network users - especially you "Community Builders" - represent The Network at classes! Much more do-able then sending staff, and they'd probably listen to a local person more :-)

We'll be getting to work on updating that video soon. In the meantime, if you do have opportunity to speak to classes about The Network, grab it. Video or not, I've done many presentations where I just took people on a live tour of the stuff I find interesting about The Network (show the various sections, look at the Top 10 list, show some of the cool features, create an account for someone in the audience to show how easy it is).

So if you have an opportunity to do your own personalized tour, go for it! And, even beyond the video, let us know how else we can assist you (e.g. Network mug to give away? something else?).

Great idea, Scott. You'll want to post something in the A/V forum as well, perhaps linking to this post.

If you're interested in doing this virtually (i.e. using a cheap teleconference provider and a screen sharing tool like join.me) you could cast the net wider. Not as much fun as meeting in person, but it can work and perhaps get more participation.

Keep us posted. And, once you've got a date/time, let us know if we in the CRC Communications office can help spread the word.

Wow, Brenda. Thank YOU for posting such kind words.

It's been quite a year. The online Network actually doesn't have any full time staff...just a few of us part-timers that, combined, probably make up about one position. How's that possible?

Because of YOU and others like you that post questions, comments, and interact with each other. And because of our volunteer guides and hosts who lend their time and expertise by writing blogs, articles, responding to questions, and more.

Like Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, and many smaller examples of social sites...the value of The Network is created by the community!

So thanks to everyone for participating. 

By the way, yesterday we broke another record for traffic to the site. Not bad for mid-February. Keep spreading the word so more and more people can join the conversation! There are so many people in our churches who still don't know how they can benefit from connecting with each other on The Network.

That would be the first Network meetup (that I know of). Go for it, Henry. I know a couple of the Network guides will be there (Joyce Borger (worship), Jim Dekker (pastors), maybe others). And I'm sure some other Network regulars.

No Network desk, unfortunately. Those of us behind the scenes will be toiling away here at the office getting ready for The Network's one year birthday. We've got some things planned...prizes, design changes. Watch the home page or subscribe to the Network email list for details...

Who else is going to the Symposium?

Some things money can't buy...and a Network mug is one of them. You've gotta earn it.. :-)

At our most recent elders meeting, we discussed this very issue. One easy (but hopefully significant) change we made was to assign young adults to a district separate from their parents. So, for those that grew up in our church, they move from Youth Elder to their 'own' district at the age of 18.

Hopefully that helps remind them - and us! - that they are an adult member/attender in their own right. They'll get the same elder visit as any other member, including a conversation about their participation in the life of the church. And the lines won't be so blurred as when they have the same elder as their parents.

I'm looking forward to hearing what comes of your round-table discussion. Keep us posted.

And, in the meantime, what other things have churches done to be better enfold young adults into the full life of the church?

Thanks for the link to that, Dave.

I also just saw that the seminary is hosting a panel discussion on the Belhar Confession next week Tuesday, October 12, at 7:30pm. Here's a link to their events calendar and the description:

John Cooper, Victoria Proctor-Gibbs, and Peter Borgdorff will dialogue on the Belhar Confession. Thea Leunk will moderate the discussion. One question that will be addressed is "Should the Christian Reformed Church adopt the Belhar?" Free and open to the public. Please join us. 

Maybe this could be recorded, or webcast? I'll email the seminary to see if they can let us know about that.