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Jul-26-2005
Discovered this new blog recently, TechShepherds.com,
which is using technology to assist shepherds (pastors) in ministry.
It's a great blog providing insights, ideas, and encouragements for
using technological tools that help ministry be done more effectively.
The blogger who is providing entries at TechShepherds.com has served as a Technology Minister and other church staff roles in Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama, as well as missions in Africa, for over 15 years. He has taken various opportunities to integrate various forms of technology that have saved administrative time and allowed staff more time for ministering face-to-face.
The blogger who is providing entries at TechShepherds.com has served as a Technology Minister and other church staff roles in Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama, as well as missions in Africa, for over 15 years. He has taken various opportunities to integrate various forms of technology that have saved administrative time and allowed staff more time for ministering face-to-face.
Jul-22-2005
The online ministry at bible.org continues to grow over the years, now touted as the largest internet ministry in the world. Bible.org
is the home of the NET Bible, with all 60,237 translator’s notes, and
available in a number of formats. And for registered users (free), bible.org provides access to over 40,000 pages of Bible study resources online.
Starting August 1st, they'll be offering a free online course for 30 people, called The Theology Program. Sign up before the limited space is all taken!
Starting August 1st, they'll be offering a free online course for 30 people, called The Theology Program. Sign up before the limited space is all taken!
Jul-20-2005
This news release, excerpt below, directs our attention to an award-winning website: Harvest Online Awarded the 2005 Best Ministry Website:
Harvest Christian Fellowship is pleased to announce that the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) has awarded Harvest Online with the 2005 NRB Media Award for Internet: Best Ministry Website.
The award honors the Internet Web site for excellence in design and content, creativity in presentation, and effectiveness in helping fulfill the ministry's mission.
For years, Harvest Online has empowered its users with biblical resources from Pastor Greg Laurie and Harvest Outreach Ministries.
You'll discover these and other interactive features at www.harvest.org . . .
Harvest Christian Fellowship is pleased to announce that the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) has awarded Harvest Online with the 2005 NRB Media Award for Internet: Best Ministry Website.
The award honors the Internet Web site for excellence in design and content, creativity in presentation, and effectiveness in helping fulfill the ministry's mission.
For years, Harvest Online has empowered its users with biblical resources from Pastor Greg Laurie and Harvest Outreach Ministries.
You'll discover these and other interactive features at www.harvest.org . . .
- Pastor Greg Laurie's daily devotions
- Live and archived services from Pastor Greg's home church
- A New Beginning daily radio program archives
- Online e-letters and ministry announcements from Pastor Greg
- Live and archived webcasts of Harvest Crusades
Jul-15-2005
About a month ago, www.pornsunday.com
launched to provide information and resources for a special event on
October 9th, called National Porn Sunday. Hundreds of churches, and
perhaps thousands, throughout the United States will be bringing hope
to those struggling with pornography. The founders of XXXChurch.com,
known as the number #1 Christian Porn site, has a message and resources
to help people find help to overcome and get victory over this dirty
little secret.
Willow Creek Association churches have a members page at the XXXChurch.com website, which links to an MP3 audio of the message presented by Craig Gross and Mike Foster in January 2005 at Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Your church can be a participant by signing up at the www.pornsunday.com website, where you can find more information about this special event.
Willow Creek Association churches have a members page at the XXXChurch.com website, which links to an MP3 audio of the message presented by Craig Gross and Mike Foster in January 2005 at Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Your church can be a participant by signing up at the www.pornsunday.com website, where you can find more information about this special event.
Jul-14-2005
There may be many technical aspects to building a website, and quite a
number of technologies and softwares. Sometimes a single website
solution may meet the needs of your church or ministry, like ForMinistry WebBuilder. Sometimes it takes putting together a number of different technologies. For example, Dr. Ralph Wilson uses about 27 different softwares for running his website, according to his article, What Software Runs the WilsonWeb.com Site?
And it also might take learning a little web programming, whether it's HTML or CSS. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, and it provides a way for web pages to be displayed with consistent fonts and layouts (if that's how you use it, which really is the way you should use it.) Here's 10 CSS Tricks You May Not Know. [hat tip to ChurchNerd and HealYourChurchWebsite.]
And it also might take learning a little web programming, whether it's HTML or CSS. CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, and it provides a way for web pages to be displayed with consistent fonts and layouts (if that's how you use it, which really is the way you should use it.) Here's 10 CSS Tricks You May Not Know. [hat tip to ChurchNerd and HealYourChurchWebsite.]
Jul-13-2005
Perhaps there are some things to be learned about online ministry from some innovative churches. Terry Storch and Tony Morgan put their list together, having been prodded by Ben Boles at FusionLife.org. Take a look at Terry and Tony’s Top 10 Innovative Churches and see if their websites reflect their church's reputed innovation:
10. Seacoast Church
9. Willow Creek Community Church
8. New Spring Community Church
7. National Community Church
6. Buckhead Church
5. Mosaic
4. Bay Area Fellowship
3. Journey Church
2. Daybreak
1. Life Church
00. Fellowship Church & Granger Community Church
Jul-12-2005
Www.ecuMiniNet.com is the
online magazine for the whole Christian Community: children, teens,
young adults, adults, churches, organizations, & academic
institutions. EcuMiniNet Online!(tm)
is about sharing our different perspectives in faith and how to grow
into more mature faith. It offers articles (with archives dating back
to 2001), photography, poetry, and an ecu-miniMarket.
The miniMarket provides an ecumenical Christian marketplace which
offers web advertising with links for purchasing special Christian
products, resources, and services, while a separate Classifieds section
provides advertisement for general public interest as well as Christian
products and services.
Jul-11-2005
Podcasting has gained even more interest among both listeners and
mainstream media, now that Apple has added the podcatching (subscribing
to podcast feeds, in order to listen to them) function to its iTunes
software. (Podcasts
are audio files distributed via the Internet, often produced like
internet radio talk shows.)
One of the newest podcasts (Internet radio shows) is called the Mayberry Driven Church at www.mayberrychurch.com. It is a weekly podcast for pastors and ministry leaders. Its first show was intriguingly titled When You're Not Saddleback and You're Up Willow Creek!, offering encouragement to churches of a more normal size, and insights about being a church in a smaller town.
The radio show is done by Dennis Laing and Randy Paredes, who is the lead pastor of Florence Christian Church in Florence, Oregon. [hat tip to SmartChristian and Monday Morning Insight]
One of the newest podcasts (Internet radio shows) is called the Mayberry Driven Church at www.mayberrychurch.com. It is a weekly podcast for pastors and ministry leaders. Its first show was intriguingly titled When You're Not Saddleback and You're Up Willow Creek!, offering encouragement to churches of a more normal size, and insights about being a church in a smaller town.
The radio show is done by Dennis Laing and Randy Paredes, who is the lead pastor of Florence Christian Church in Florence, Oregon. [hat tip to SmartChristian and Monday Morning Insight]
Jul-08-2005
Excerpt from this interview with Pastor Rick Warren:
See, here's the other reason why I believe a Reformation could happen:
every time God's word is put into new technology, there's a
Reformation. In 1456 or something, that's when Gutenberg came out with
the printing press, and the first thing he prints, what is it? A Bible.
It's not pornography; it's the Bible, okay? Within about 50 years of
that time we have the Reformation. Why? Because what Martin Luther
nailed to the wall of the Wittenberg door somebody pulled off the wall
and started reprinting. The Reformation would have never happened
without the technology to make it possible. We now have a new
technology which allows global networking between millions of local
churches. It's called the Internet.
So, what is your church doing to be a part of this reformation? Email us with a brief description of what you're doing!
So, what is your church doing to be a part of this reformation? Email us with a brief description of what you're doing!
Jul-07-2005
While running an errand this week, I noticed a prominent banner promoting a website at
www.StillSpeaking.com. I visited it soon as I got to a computer, and found some innovative and timely resources offered online, as a part of this advertising campaign from the United Church of Christ.
While there are some disagreement over the denomination's teachings or positions, as mentioned in this Church Executive article, Connecticut church splits from UCC over denomination's non-biblical stances, the United Church of Christ has notably launched a strong effort at using the web to serve its anticipated audience.
www.StillSpeaking.com. I visited it soon as I got to a computer, and found some innovative and timely resources offered online, as a part of this advertising campaign from the United Church of Christ.
While there are some disagreement over the denomination's teachings or positions, as mentioned in this Church Executive article, Connecticut church splits from UCC over denomination's non-biblical stances, the United Church of Christ has notably launched a strong effort at using the web to serve its anticipated audience.
Jul-06-2005
TableandFire.com is the
digital community of Irving Bible Church (in Irving, Texas). They have
an active web-based discussion forum (also known as message board),
online prayer room, book list, and many other features. A great idea
for fostering community online when people are not at the church
building! (which is most of our everyday lives, actually) [hat tip to castingmynet]
Jul-05-2005
CartoonChurch.com has cartoon resources for your church, including a blog, worksheets, and greeting cards. Sometimes a visual can drive a point home better than words can ever try.
Dave Walker is the artist (cartoonist) behind the website. Dave also claims the distinction of writing The Dullest Blog in the World.
Dave Walker is the artist (cartoonist) behind the website. Dave also claims the distinction of writing The Dullest Blog in the World.
Jul-01-2005
Meniere's Ministry
is a website that offers spiritual support for those with Meniere's
Disease. I met the ministry's chaplain, Rev. Forrest S. Clark, in
Nashville about a month ago.
As a part of the www.menieres.org portal, it hasn't been updated frequently, so some info may be out of date. If you'd like spiritual counsel and/or someone to talk with about Meniere's Ministry, his current email address is forrest@wisconsinumc.org . Please feel free to contact him via email.
Chaplain Forrest did share with me about what online ministry had occurred; here's what he wrote:
For the first three years I had the site, I had a constant flow of inquiries and formed some lasting friendships with people. I continued to provide spiritual support to several of those people over an extended period of time although as they worked through their issues and their need for support lessened and the inaccurate address reduced contact with others, my ministry of support declined. I had contact with a shipyard worker in Singapore, a teacher in Australia, an Illinois person who worked at an orphanage (and who now is enrolled in seminary due to the mentoring relationship we established in the aftermath of that contact), and many others.
As a part of the www.menieres.org portal, it hasn't been updated frequently, so some info may be out of date. If you'd like spiritual counsel and/or someone to talk with about Meniere's Ministry, his current email address is forrest@wisconsinumc.org . Please feel free to contact him via email.
Chaplain Forrest did share with me about what online ministry had occurred; here's what he wrote:
For the first three years I had the site, I had a constant flow of inquiries and formed some lasting friendships with people. I continued to provide spiritual support to several of those people over an extended period of time although as they worked through their issues and their need for support lessened and the inaccurate address reduced contact with others, my ministry of support declined. I had contact with a shipyard worker in Singapore, a teacher in Australia, an Illinois person who worked at an orphanage (and who now is enrolled in seminary due to the mentoring relationship we established in the aftermath of that contact), and many others.
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This blog is a "web log" of examples and ideas for effective online ministry. You'll also find comments about web technologies and how they can be used for Christian ministry and spirituality.
