eQuip blog

end of month, end of eQuip blog

2005-08-31T09:02:00.000-04:00

It has been a joy to share here, but just as technology changes, things here at ForMinistry.com are changing too. Today is the last entry for the eQuip blog, as we rearrange the furniture to specifically serve those who use the ForMinistry Web Builder toolkit to build church and ministry websites. The many ideas and tips shared here at the eQuip blog will remain online in an archive format as a useful resource for some time.

As an aside, I'm a part of a team working on a redesign of the American Bible Society website at www.americanbible.org, which is scheduled to launch around mid-September. Stay tuned there for an article describing some of the behind-the-scene look at how we went about the redesign.

Since the launch of this eQuip blog in May 2004, many other websites and blogs have launched to share tips, ideas, resources and strategies about doing online ministry (also called "internet evangelism", "eministry", or "web ministry", or "digital outreach.") Please visit these other websites and blogs about online ministry & technology:

eMinistryNotes.com (effective web ministry notes)
e-vangelism.com
Strategic Digital Outreach
HealYourChurchWebsite.com
Outside the Box Ministry
ChurchNerd.com
BetaChurch.org
CyberMissions.org
ChurchMarketingSucks.com
GreatChurchWebsites.org and its Church Webmasters' Forum
WebEvangelism.com (The Internet Evangelism Coalition)
Web Evangelism Bulletin (bi-monthly emails since 1999)
web-evangelism.com (a guide to web outreach)
InternetForChristians.org (featuring Christian websites since 1995)
TechShepherds.com
Boyink Interactive
uneekNet

free training videos online

2005-08-29T15:58:00.000-04:00

TruthMedia has a number of Internet ministry training videos online for free (Macromedia Flash required.) Topics covered include:

[hat tip: eMinistryNotes]

Website design vs. content

2005-08-26T11:57:00.000-04:00

Church Tech Matters raised a great question about church website design: What is the life of a website design? In other words, how often does the design need to be redone to keep it fresh? How long a site should go before being given a facelift?

In his conclusion, he shared some insights:

Content is king and people are going to visit your site for the content, not for the design. A clean and simple design is best.
The content also needs to be dynamic, always current.
Why do you visit your own church website on a daily or at least a weekly basis? Because there is fresh information there about current events going on around the church.

Read his entire conclusion for context and more insights.

LeaderU.com's 10th anniversary

2005-08-22T10:23:00.000-04:00

The Christian Post article, Dotcoms Bust but Christian Websites Boom, describes the growing impact and readership at LeaderU.com, whose website Web site traffic grew from three to eight million from 1998 to 2001. From January to May 2005, LeaderU.com generated 9.2 million hits, 4.7 million pageviews and 2.3 million visits. Each visitor spends an average of 18 minutes, unusually long for a Web site.

More info about the LeaderU.com's 10th anniversary is featured at LeaderU's 10th: A Decade of Growth & Impact.

church communications survey

2005-08-19T09:17:00.000-04:00

Main Street has commissioned an independent survey on church communications. This survey will collect the first national data on how church communications departments are organized, staffed, and tasked.

All participants in the survey who provide an email address will receive a copy of the executive summary for free. And the results will also be presented at MinistryCOM in Houston on September 16, 2005.

The survey is limited to churches in the USA who conduct regular worship services. (Non-profits and para-church ministries should not participate in this survey.) This survey should be answered by the church director of communications, or the person most directly responsible for communications in the congregation. Complete the online survey to participate. Surveys must be completed by Monday, August 29, 2005.

[hat tip: Kem Meyer]

Top 100 fastest growing megachurches

2005-08-17T14:05:00.000-04:00

Outreach Magazine has for the third year listed the Top 100 fastest-growing megachurches in America. There is much to be learned from these churches in terms of what are they doing that is different from the typical church and how that might be related to their fast growing attendance. The magazine probably focused on that (it's only available to subscribers to the print edition, and not published online.) But there might also be some things we can learn from their websites.

Someone at the Northminster Presbyterian Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, is in process of putting together a very helpful web page titled: Ranking the Big Church Websites. As of this writing, they have evaluated 8 megachurch websites on criterias like creativity, design, bells & whistles, and content. The top scoring website to date is www.fellowshipchurch.com. Stay tuned there for more rankings to come.

Comments about their rankings may be posted here.

[hat tip: tallskinnykiwi]

Leadership Summit notes

2005-08-15T13:25:00.000-04:00

Kem Meyer blogged her notes from the Willow Creek Leadership Summit last week, viewed by more than 53,000 leaders. She provided an excellent summary of high quality teachings during the 9 main sessions. Kem is the Communications Director at Granger Community Church and a stay-at-home mom for three kids.

Online ministry is all about communicating and sharing, and blogging is probably the fastest way to post information online. What are you blogging?

www.touchafrica.org

2005-08-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

Www.touchafrica.org is the website for Touch Africa, a grassroots involvement movement to reach out for the AIDS orphans crisis. The Touch Africa 05 team members have been in Zambia and surrounding countries since July 25, and will return on August 17.

There's a team blog for real-time updates from Africa, and the website has photos, videos, and a discussion forum for everyone to send encouragement and get involved. Touch Africa is an initiative of iMissions, a collaborating agency with the U.S. Center for World Mission.

An excellent example of using the web to communicate in a timely fashion and to connect people from around the world!

GospelCon 2005

2005-08-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

GospelCon 2005 is being billed as "the most important online ministry conference of the year" by Gospelcom.Net, the most popular Christian website in the world. Speakers include Terry Mattingly and Quentin Schultze and it all happens on September 15-17, 2005, in Chicago, Illinois. Registration is $350 before September 1st, and then it's $1,000,000 per person after that date.

An online ministry track is devoted entirely to the care and feeding of an internet ministry. You'll hear about what works and what doesn't from people who are out there with you doing ministry online, who've dealt with the same challenges you face.

The GospelCon blog keeps all updated on conference news. No word yet if they will provide live instant messaging, streaming webcast, or podcast audios.

Internet Evangelism Coalition Annual Meeting

2005-08-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

The 2005 Internet Evangelism Coalition Annual Meeting is scheduled for September 14-15, 2005 in Chicago, at the Westin O'Hare in Rosemont, IL. The cost is $95 per attendee. This meeting will discuss topics like Internet Evangelism and Legal Issues, Privacy Policies, International Internet Evangelism, and Online Internet Evangelism Training and Churches.

Speakers include: John Edmiston (Cybermissions, Asian Internet Bible Institute), Dave Hackett (visionSynergy), Walt Wilson (Global Media Outreach), and Karen Schenk (TruthMedia). TruthMedia Internet Group runs 24 websites in 12 languages for online communities of evangelism and discipleship.

Child Ministry Ideas and Inspiration

2005-08-02T10:40:00.000-04:00

Here are 2 great resources for children's ministry: Child Ministry Ideas and Inspiration at www.kidinspiration.com and the Children's Ministry Blog at www.childrensministryblog.com.

Both resource website are done by David Wakerley. David Wakerley and his wife Beci are children's pastors at Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. They both have a passion to see children’s ministries around the world flourish and thrive. Together they are integral to the childre's praise and worship at Hillsong Church, leading teams of awesome praise and worshippers and writing songs that reach into children's hearts and minds.

And this September, David also plans to launch a Children's Ministry Podcast at www.childrensministrypodcast.com .

TechShepherds.com

2005-07-26T10:01:00.000-04:00

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 Theology Program

2005-07-22T10:50:00.000-04:00

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!

Harvest Online Awarded the 2005 Best Ministry Website

2005-07-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

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 . . .

Also, see the Harvest Online 2004 Report to see some of the results from their online ministry during the past year.

Porn Sunday is coming October 9th

2005-07-15T10:01:00.000-04:00

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.

10 CSS Tricks

2005-07-14T12:52:00.000-04:00

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.]

Top 10 innovative churches and their websites

2005-07-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

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

EcuMiniNet.com

2005-07-12T10:04:00.000-04:00

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.

MayberryChurch.com

2005-07-11T09:30:00.000-04:00

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]

Online Reformation?

2005-07-08T08:52:00.000-04:00

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!

stillspeaking.com

2005-07-07T15:02:00.000-04:00

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.

TableandFire.com

2005-07-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

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]

CartoonChurch.com

2005-07-05T15:46:00.000-04:00

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.

Meniere's Ministry

2005-07-01T11:29:00.000-04:00

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.

now pastors have another pulpit

2005-06-30T04:10:00.000-04:00

Ken Gosnell's recent article, 4 Ways Blogging Can Change Your Church, describes the potential impact of blogging on the church. Blogging is also having an impact on pastors, as a number of them have found it to be an additional outlet for sharing and connecting.

David Posthuma shares in Why Every Pastor Should Blog that blogging is a "perfect communication platform". Alex McManus shares One Blogging idea for Pastors/ Church planters: "Invite a new believer or a new member to your home or out to dinner and interview them for your blog. ... Remember, ask permission to post an interview and be sure to invite them to check it out." Tod Bolsinger exhorts pastors to blog in Blog, for Christ's sake. Some Canadian pastors were interviewed about how their churches were doing online ministry and marketing in A Few Good Pastors. And Mark D. Roberts links up a list of blogging pastors.

animated spiritual cartoons

2005-06-29T07:44:00.000-04:00

DongHaeng is a bilingual website (in Korean and English) with many online Macromedia Flash cartoons, each of which vividly portrays a spiritual lesson. With a few words, music, and visuals, these cartoons offer encouragement and edification. By clicking on the "disk" icon next to each cartoon title, you can even copy/paste the HTML code and integrate it into your own website.

Ways to Keep Me from Visiting Your Church because of Your Website

2005-06-28T08:29:00.000-04:00

Tony Morgan, one of the pastors at Granger Community Church, shared some of his thoughts about church websites, after visiting many of them: 10 Easy Ways to Keep Me from Visiting Your Church Because I Visited Your Website. Some of the highlights include:

Avoid telling me what's going to happen at your church this weekend.
Make me click a "skip intro" or "enter site" link.
Make it as difficult as possible for me to get directions, services times, or find information about what will happen with my kids.
Try to sell your church rather than telling me how I will benefit from the experience.

Read the full article online.

Flaming Fire Illustrated Bible

2005-06-27T09:36:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting website: the Flaming Fire Illustrated Bible. Over 3,000 illustrations have been completed (as of this writing) and the project goal is to illustrate the entire bible verse–by–verse — one illustration per verse. They plan to enlist artists and illustrators from all over the world to bring each of the 36,665 verses in database to life. The illustrations may be freely used for education purpose - in your Bible study group or personal reflection!

5 days of Wired

2005-06-24T08:41:00.000-04:00

Pastor Brian Orme featured at his blog a 5-day series earlier this month titled, Wired: using new media in worship. Great insights and thoughts about what's happening with the people of God and technologies of many kinds.

Day 5 wraps it up with this helpful list: Top Ten things to think about in moving from anaolog to digital Church. (hat tip to Church Tech Matters)

4 the Streets

2005-06-23T13:42:00.000-04:00

Liana Roa is the Editor-In-Chief of "4 the Streets," an urban magazine serving youth in inner cities, and on the staff of American Bible Society. She was interviewed on ReachOUT.tv in April 2005, and the streaming video and MP3 audio of that interview are online for you to watch and listen!

ReachOUT.tv is a talk show that highlights Christians in today's culture, outside of the 4-walls of the church. ReachOUT.tv's personal interviews are broadcast weekly into over 3 million homes in the New York Metro area.

Also see these related articles: 4 The Streets: Straight Talk in an Urban Dialect and Healing Hearts in the City.

3 online zines

2005-06-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

3 online zines (magazines) to inspire your web content & design creativity: 2 for a college age audience, and 1 for a general audience. DeeperDevotion.com is an online magazine for Christian students, and www.gostudents.net is the website of Go! Magazine. Notice how each site presents articles to engage its readers, and uses some added functions like surveys, polls, and discussion forums to encourage conversations between its readers and its staff or volunteers.

InFuze Magazine is all about creativity: art, entertainment, and faith. It integrates a wide mix of different Internet technologies (articles, photo gallery, blogs) for its readers.

Improving Your Church Website

2005-06-21T09:57:00.000-04:00

UneekNet is a full service Internet agency, with a heart for churches and Christian non-profits, and vast experiences too. Its "Improving Your Church Website" series is an excellent resource helpful for anyone doing online ministry:

Church Web sites that reach out effectively

2005-06-20T10:05:00.000-04:00

What happens when a church creates a Web site with just its members in mind? Only the members read it! But what is the result when a church has a site specifically designed to reach outsiders, in user-friendly language that connects with their lives? One church webmaster who uses these principles says that, week in and week out, more visitors turn up at his church on a Sunday because of the Web site than anything else.

Read the full article, Church Web sites that reach out effectively, for principles that can help your website reach out.

how to have repeat visitors for your website

2005-06-17T09:29:00.000-04:00

Many people will visit your website, assuming you have a website. Most of them will visit just once. What are some ways to have them coming back again and again? According to Forrester research quoted in an article titled, "What drives repeat visitors to your site?", the top 2 reasons that people returned to websites were: high-quality content, closely followed by ease of use. What makes for quality content?

onPhilanthropy.com offers this best practice: "Repeat visitors will not come to your site expecting to see the same content. Your site’s copy material should change once a week, reflecting news, upcoming events, and features. Making the experience fun will keep browsers on your site. It will also encourage visitors to return. Have pictures and multimedia that are pleasing to look at."

Robert Warren shares his suggestions for effective content in his article titled Boost Your Website With Expert Content. It says that website content that can easily be found elsewhere is worse than useless, and that one should not post outdated or generic content. What works in the print world often doesn't work in the digital one.

No Bible Sunday

2005-06-16T21:50:00.000-04:00

A month ago on May 16th, a number of churches designated that Sunday as No Bible Sunday. This Christian Post article titled, ''No Bible Sunday'' Campaign Challenges Churches, described the campaign was designed to challenge Christians in the West about how the Bible has been left on the bookshelf.

At the “No Bible” services, not only the Bible, but also hymn books, overhead-projector slides, or anything else containing Scripture, was locked away from view. If absence makes the heart grow fonder, the “No Bible Sunday” campaign may reacquaint many Christians with their first love for the Good Book. The campaign was sponsored by Wycliffe Bible Translators.

All Kinds of Online Ministries

2005-06-15T11:32:00.000-04:00

I contributed to the May 2005 edition of the ForMinistry monthly e-newsletter, eJournal. Its cover article, It Takes All Kinds of Online Ministries, captures some of my current thinking about different kinds of websites and web tools being used for and by Christians and Christian ministries, and where they have a place in cyberspace. Read the full article online.

Subscribe to the ForMinistry eJournal -- a monthly e-newsletter that provides you with ministry resources and strategies you can use, as well as news on upcoming services from ForMinistry and American Bible Society.

blogging about online ministry

2005-06-14T10:29:00.000-04:00

Since the launch of this eQuip blog, we've found more than a handful of other websites and blogs doing similar things, sharing even more tips, resources and strategies about doing online ministry. What we call "online ministry" here, some call "internet evangelism", "eministry", or "web ministry", or "digital outreach." We've selected the term "online ministry" because the Internet can be used for all kinds of ministry, both evangelism and discipleship.

Other websites and blogs that are very helpful in developing online ministry include:

eMinistryNotes.com (effective web ministry notes)
e-vangelism.com
Strategic Digital Outreach
HealYourChurchWebsite.com
Outside the Box Ministry
ChurchNerd.com
BetaChurch.org
CyberMissions.org
ChurchMarketingSucks.com
GreatChurchWebsites.org and its Church Webmasters' Forum
WebEvangelism.com (The Internet Evangelism Coalition)
Web Evangelism Bulletin (bi-monthly emails since 1999)
web-evangelism.com (a guide to web outreach)
InternetForChristians.org (featuring Christian websites since 1995)

And 2 that are related to consulting companies: Boyink Interactive and uneekNet. Many of the above blogs are aggregated at the Internet Evangelism Day site.

Is the Bible in you?

2005-06-13T09:22:00.000-04:00

We'd like to learn about how the Bible is a part of your life and your community. Please fill out this online survey this week, so we can better work towards an official launch of the temporary pre-launch emerging.forministry.com website. Please pass the word along too. Thank you!

Back from Nashville

2005-05-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

I'm now back from Nashville and the National Pastors Convention / Emergent Convention and had a great time meeting up with old and new friends.

One notable change from previous conventions is the growing number of bloggers and online conversations, indicative of the growing adoption rate of technology. Over 30 bloggers are linked up on the bloggers list at the official event site, and 34 linked up from those who attended and dined at the Bloggers Forum Lunch. And there were more bloggers in attendance that you might find as you surf the Web. In addition to the blogging of session notes and personal reflections and opinions, there's also podcasting and vlogging (video blogging), sharing the sights and sounds from the event, and adding a new dimension beyond text.

announcing emerging.forministry.com

2005-05-20T14:58:00.000-04:00

At yesterday's Bloggers forum, we were pleased to announce the alpha phase pre-launch of a new website emerging from ForMinistry.com, which will invite conversations around the Scriptures. The temporary URL is emerging.forministry.com and we hope to cultivate examples and conversations and insights from people of many different Christian traditions and what we can learn from one another as readers of the Bible. This website is currently under development and as you tune in, you can see a website change and grow and build from the ground up, from the inside out. We're pulling back the covers so you can see some of what's going on behind the scenes. Your feedback is most welcomed there.

eQuip's first anniversary

2005-05-19T07:59:00.000-04:00

Today is the eQuip blog's first anniversary! For the past year, we've been sharing with you ideas and examples of online ministry every business day. It is all archived here online for you as a valuable resource and reference. THANK YOU for being a regular reader and passing the word along.

Since that time, we've seen more than a handful of other blogs get launched, sharing even more tips, resources and conversations about doing online ministry. (I hope to share a list of those websites and blogs with you next week.) That is very exciting to see! One thing that's more difficult to know is how many websites have been launched for online ministry as a result of getting an idea or resource from this blog.

I'm typing this live from Nashville, Tennessee, where the National Pastors Convention and the Emergent Conventionare running concurrently. I haven't found a seminar or workshop in the line up specifically about online ministry, but there is a digital lounge where convention attendees can use the Internet at about 6 laptop kiosks, and there are more than a dozen bloggers (aka citizen journalists) sharing their perspectives on what's happening at this event.

Later today, at the Bloggers Luncheon Forum, ForMinistry will be making a special announcement. We'll share that news with you, here, tomorrow.

Shout Magazine

2005-05-18T16:48:00.000-04:00

Magazines can be an expensive venture to keep going over time (or even to start one up), because of prohibitive printing costs, as well as costs involved with distribution, not to mention the effort to create compelling content. The Internet is making it possible to share articles in a magazine format very easily and cheaply, and even more widely. Around the world in an instant, if you will. (Caveat: comply with copyright regulations if you're not creating original content.)

SHOUT Magazine is no longer published, but every issue is available online. SHOUT Magazine was a national magazine for Hispanic youth workers, distributed quarterly to 3,000 youth workers nationally, prior to Fall 2000. SHOUT stands for Serving Hispanics One United Together, and its magazine served to challenge, envision and strengthen other Latino youth workers. Over 100 practical articles on Urban Youth Ministry are online, and are still valuable because of its unique, distinct, and timeless content.

So you want a Web Site Critique?

2005-05-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

So you want a web site critique? Here are some guidelines, links and suggestions to help you prepare your site before asking for a critique at Christian-Web-Masters.com's forum for website critiques. These are all aspects of websites that may receive comment if they have been overlooked or done poorly. These guidelines and web design points are accepted widely among web developers. When appropriate, this article have provided links to articles that may help you with that particular item.

This article is provided as a part of In Awe of Him Ministries, the web ministry of Pastor TJ Singleton. He is also the founder of preachersweb.org, which provides resources to Christian preachers.

2005-05-16T09:01:00.000-04:00

American Tract Society recently published this article titled, Future opportunities in web evangelism, highlighting some trends and opportunities with the Internet. 6 significant areas of potential for online evangelism are listed:

Church websites
'Bridge Strategy' websites
Non-English languages
Effective follow-up
Content Management Systems and Blogs
Involvement of non-technical people

Read the full article online to see how these areas can be utilized towards its full potential.

If you build it, they will come, maybe.

2005-05-13T09:07:00.000-04:00

Ellison Research has estimated that 72% of smaller churches (attendance under 100) do not even have a website, even though there are tools like ForMinistry WebBuilder to build one for free! While getting a website built and launched is a significant accomplishment, it isn't quite enough.

Like the tree falling in the forest will be heard by no one, if no one is around, so is a website that is built but no one knows about it. 2 main places that you can quickly and easily let others know about your website: in church, and in search engines on the Web. A 3rd place to consider would be advertising in your community, which will most likely require budget and money. The first 2 places are free, or almost free.

Print the URL (Web address) on your church bulletin, include it on your email signature, on your church sign. In your next printing, including the URL on your business card, stationery, flyer.

The other place is to get your website listed in popular search engines. Word has it that Google represents about 50% of all searches on the Internet. Specific ways on promotional strategies are detailed in 2 excellent resources with tips on how to get visitors to your websites are: The Web Marketing Checklist: 31 Ways to Promote Your Website by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, and the free eBook from Trinity Web Hosting titled Church Web Site Traffic.

Internet Evangelism Day Report

2005-05-12T09:02:00.000-04:00

Tony Whittaker shares about the impact of Internet Evangelism Day, which happened on April 24th, 2005. This was the first day of its kind to raise awareness and advocate using the Internet for evangelism and online ministry. This Internet Evangelism Day Report presents a summary of what happened during the seven months of promotions and some of the feedback submitted.

Next Thursday Lunch in Nashville

2005-05-11T09:27:00.000-04:00

We're cooking up something special here at ForMinistry.com, and we'll share it at next Thursday's Bloggers Forum during lunch time -- May 19th in Nasvhille, at the Emergent Convention. Will Samson, one of the contributors to the ForMinistry blog, even calls it a Blogapolooza. (oh, did I mention that there's free lunch?)

Internet Evangelism Day Report

2005-05-10T09:46:00.000-04:00

This Christian Post article, Internet Evangelism Day Receives Positive Reviews, highlights a few stories about the impact of the recent day dedicated to raising awareness for Internet evangelism. The event was very well publicized on the Internet, as well as in print magazines and mainstream media. While response and impact is difficult to measure, the advocacy and awareness raised was significant.

One very helpful list compiled in conjunction with the IE Day, 60+ Tips for Effective Church Sites," is now posted online. Tips cover areas like: making it evangelistic, design, teamwork, readability, testing, navigation, usability, promotion, and response.

www.called2serve.org

2005-05-09T09:18:00.000-04:00

Www.called2serve.org is a website with a single purpose: to connect young adults discerning their career with potential opportunities with the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA) denomination.

The website has a contemporary design, and clearly lays out a step-by-step process to explore one's passion, and how that may fit with various ministry opportunities. Rather than presenting many articles to sort through in a random fashion, it may be more helpful to present answers to common questions, especially fitting for the audience and their needs. In this case, the young adult discerning his or her vocation. After the website visitor has worked through the process, there is a clear call to respond, either by submitting a question or filling out a profile for futher assessment and/or coaching.

An excellent question to consider and develop an answer to on your website: what do you want the website visitor to do? Present content in a way that is meaningful to your audience, and present a clear call to action.

online Bible courses

2005-05-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

There are a number of ways to learn and to understand the Bible on the Internet, thorugh a structured course or virtual classroom approach. This is a great way to offer online ministry from your experiences and learnings of the Bible.

Some are offering free courses: Truth for the World at www.tftw.org; World Bible School at www.wbschool.org; free online Bible study lessons at www.biblestudylessons.com; Jordan Park Church of Christ has free online Bible studies at www.jordanpark.org/bible-study.html; RBC Ministries offers free online Christian education and training at www.christiancourses.com. Ames Bible College offers free biblical training at www.freebiblecollege.com, and for a low tuition can transfer them towards college credits.

Other charge fees or tuition for their Bible courses: Trinity School of Theology at www.trinitytheology.org offers its courses for a basic registration fee and no tuition, while the International Biblical Online Leadership Training at www.ibolt.com has partnered with Vanguard College in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) to offer a Christian college degree. Growing numbers of colleges, universities, and seminaries are beginning to offer distance education over the Internet.

One thing you should research is the course's theological perspective, and make sure it is compatible with your personal convictions. Better yet, publish your own Bible lessons online using any freely available website publishing tool! A great use of the free donor-supported ForMinistry WebBuilder toolkit.

the role of online ministry

2005-05-05T09:41:00.000-04:00

Let's consider the role of online ministry. One of the concerns I hear from Christians is that "the Internet cannot replace face-to-face real-time ministry." And while that statement is true, too often that concern becomes the excuse to resist using the Internet at all for ministry purposes. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition.

There are many things that the Internet is very useful for in the arena of ministry: (1) distribution of content and information and resources, (2) bridging geographical distance, and (3) starting & maintaining relationships.

Information being shared instantly and freely can facilitate learning and understanding, mostly in the cognitive sense. Articles can be easily and quickly published, faster than they could be written. The thing about blogging is not only that it allows people to instantly voice their opinions in a stream of conscience manner, but that it allows people and organization to instantly publish content using more traditional workflows.

Distances can be bridged through real-time interaction by text, voice, or video. Text interaction can be done via instant messaging, message board, chat room, or blog. Communication experts say that only a minority of communication effectively comes by words alone, spoken or written. Nonverbal communication, in body language and tone of voice, accounts for anywhere from 60% to 80% of the message.

Voice interaction is now available on the Internet through streaming audio, podcasting, and "phone calls" over the Internet using VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) software like Skype. This allows tone of voice to be shared effectively.

Video interaction is also available on the Internet through streaming video, video blogging, webcam, and video conferencing. With video and voice (audio) technologies widely available, effective communication for online ministry is widely available.

But, online ministry does not replace real-time, in-person, face-to-face ministry. Relationships and ministry is more than effective communication. Something happens when people are together in fellowship. Something very meaningful when Jesus Christ came incarnationally upon earth, and similiarly, when we are incarnately in person with one another.

Nevertheless, online ministry can fill in a lot of the gaps in between the in-person meetings. The Internet can introduce people to another, and it can maintain relationships. And the in-person meetings can help grow relationships.

For a more through treatment and thoughtful reflection on this topic, see the 2001 paper titled A Theology of Technology by a task force at Eastern Theological Seminary. The section titled "Living out the Practical Implications" is particularly helpful and specifically defines best uses of technology for ministry purposes.

Talk 2 a Pastor

2005-05-04T09:24:00.000-04:00

Talk 2 a Pastor began as the Internet Evangelism efforts of a single pastor in 2000. It grew and became officially organized as a church in 2004. Today this online church is run by six pastors from six different denominations from five different states. It exists solely on the Internet and is not directly connected with any local church, denomination, or larger ministry of any kind.

Lots of Bible related links

2005-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago at a Tech Expo held at Eastern Baptist Seminary (which will become Palmer Theological Seminary in July) in Philadelphia, I met Dr. Thomas McDaniel, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament Studies.

At his website, www.ebts.edu/tmcdaniel/, he has generously shared hundreds of Internet Links for seminarians and clergy that he has found, as well as his class notes, publications, Philological Resources for Old Testament Studies, and other archives. These resources are also available on a CD titled "Internet on CDRom" by request.

One of the most fascinating collections is the scanned images of pages from the Edmund Castell Semitic - Latin Lexicon, the 1669 Lexicon Heptaglotton. The images are very large in size, and can be requested on a DVD for intensive Biblical study. This lexicon is notable for unique treasures of Scriptural insight.

Parson Place

2005-05-02T10:06:00.000-04:00

Parson Place is a web-based resources for Christian Ministers, Educators, Writers, Developers. It offers free software downloads, inspirational articles, pastoral ministry materials, an email newsletter, and more. The website is a labor of love by Army Chaplain Michael L. White. It was featured in this news article titled, Army Chaplain Celebrates Ten Years on the Web With New Book About Digital Evangelism, and he shares some of the things he learned in his book Digital Evangelism: You Can Do It, Too!

It takes more than training and resources

2005-04-29T10:23:00.000-04:00

Let's take a moment to pause from the many examples and ideas we share here at the eQuip blog, to think and reflect about doing online ministry. Over the past 7 years or so, most noticeably, Web technologies have become increasinly popular and cheaply available for everyone to get online.

My local public library has over 20 computers connected to the Internet, freely available for the general public. Even a homeless person can get online -- and one person in Nashville has been doing just that, blogging about his homeless life for several years now.

Hundreds and thousands of web pages are available with practical step-by-step tips on building websites, doing online ministry, developing Internet evangelism, blogging, and so many other ways to share content and engage conversations online. We have hundreds of articles right here at ForMinistry.com about equipping the church online.

It's not for lack of training and resources that effective online ministry, in my estimation, is not more pervasive. It's not for lack of money, because technology costs will continue to drop. ForMinistry.com offers a free, donor-supported website building tool, and others do too. Yet, only a minority of church websites are regularly updated and well designed (according to research from GreatChurchWebsites.org).

It still takes people. Having great tools, easy-to-use tools, even free tools, readily available is like having a shopping spree at your local hardware store to get all the tools you want. But you still need people to build the house, to keep it clean, and to make occasional home improvements. Having the tools is not enough.

Whether you're a church, a ministry organization, or an individual who seeks to follow God in the way of Jesus, you have to commit people and time to do online ministry. Passion or interest does not have to dictate whether something is done or not. I have no passion or interest in taking out the trash or paying my taxes, but I do it. A basic web presence, well-designed and up-to-date is something you just have to do, like getting a phone number listed in the phone directory. One hour a week or every other week is all it takes.

Next week, I'll consider the role of online ministry and how it does not replace real-time, in-person, face-to-face ministry.

Ephesians 6:10 Ministries

2005-04-28T11:28:00.000-04:00

Ephesians 6:10 Ministries has a website at www.e610.com that invites conversations and serves as a web presence. Lee Bloch is its founder and director, and his story as a web evangelist was featured at the Internet Evangelism Day website.

Ephesians 6:10 Ministries seek to offer content that is non-threatening, practical and informative, using the technology of the Internet to answer tough questions about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible and Christianity. It's off to a start, and I hope to see its ongoing development.

bible-researcher.com

2005-04-27T09:22:00.000-04:00

www.bible-researcher.com is a website for Bible students who are looking for detailed information on the history of the canon, texts, and versions of Scripture. Over 300 members are part of its discussion forum (which is powered by Yahoo Groups).

The Bible is also the focus for several recently launched blogs. Better Bibles Blog is a resource center for evaluating English Bible versions, and the ESV Bible Blog has updates about the English Standard Version. TNIV Bible Blog has news about Today's New International Version of the Bible.

Commonprayer wiki

2005-04-26T11:12:00.000-04:00

Commonprayer.wikispaces.org is a communal wiki for common prayer. For centuries, the liturgies of the church have been created and published by a small group of scholars and clergy. Now, this website allows anyone online to share liturgies. It's an online collection of liturgies for the Church in the 21st Century by the Church, and opens a tremendous opportunity for followers of Christ to share many ways of worship.

What is a wiki? Wiki is a website that allows users to add and edit content, instantly. It makes readily available online space to collaborate, to share ideas, to pool together the vast knowledge that individuals have into one collective place to serve many others. Some wikis have access control, so that you can selectively appoint only certain people to edit the content.

You can start a wiki at a free website like www.wikispaces.org, to grow a community around any topic you'd like. Imagine a wiki for sermons, devotionals, questions & answers about the Christian faith, denominational resources, and more!

StorySpot

2005-04-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

StorySpot.com is all about sharing personal stories. Stories about relationships and everyday life. Stories about normal people going through the unexpected "stuff" in life and the resulting pain and doubt that surfaces. Any life experience is a potential story to tell. Any story told is a potential open door for conversation, especially online. (StorySpot is an online outreach of the Southeast Regional Office of Campus Crusade for Christ.)

Digital Evangelism: You Can Do It, Too!

2005-04-24T21:59:00.000-04:00

Today is Internet Evangelism Day! While promotion has been vast and worldwide, getting started and doing internet evangelism and online ministry may be challenging for some. This weekend I just found out about a new book by Michale White makes it easier, with practical how-tos and tips: Digital Evangelism: You Can Do It, Too!

In his article Digital Evangelism Helps Fulfill the Great Commission, Terry Wilhite writes:
Computers are used in homes today in a multitude of ways – from paying bills on-line to archiving recipes. But for most church goers, it’s been my observation that they’ve never even thought about using their computer to grow spiritually or for that matter reach people for Christ. That’s the reason that I’m excited about a new book entitled Digital Evangelism: You Can Do It Too! written by Michael White. White has been a pastor, a national guard chaplain several years ago and currently is an active duty Army chaplain. In his new book, he does a masterful job of linking “high tech” with the most high calling of spreading the Gospel, which is not only something every Christian can do but everyone with a computer should do.

Also see article, Chaplain writes book on digital evangelism and press releases Army Chaplain Celebrates Ten Years on the Web With New Book About Digital Evangelism and New Book Explores Creative Ways YOU Can Become an Internet Evangelist with Minimal Time and Money!

(preview excerpt from book, purchase it online; plus, there's a 10% discount for clergy)

Internet Evangelism Day this Sunday

2005-04-22T09:39:00.000-04:00

This Sunday, April 24th, is Internet Evangelism Day! Many churches (and other groups such as Bible colleges) are planning to mark the first worldwide Internet Evangelism Day. The organizers of the special day have prepared a downloadable PowerPoint presentation, video clips, dramas and other resources, so that churches and ministries can catch a vision for the enormous potential of the Web for effective outreach. For resources and info, browse to www.InternetEvangelismDay.com

The Minor Prophet

2005-04-21T15:49:00.000-04:00

The Minor Prophet is a Web site for Christians, by Christians, where they share the messages of God from the Scriptures through Bible study notes, commentaries, and blogs. Over 250 members share their notes and have coversations there.

Many of the early members are a part of Southside Bible Church in Greenwood, Indiana. This church has also linked to the library and blogs as a part of their church's discipleship and Bible study classes. This is something that any church can do in conjunction with their existing website. It's a great way to supplement a church's Bible study classes and also to provide real life (and real time) discussions about the Bible as a witness to the world.

Who's Jesus

2005-04-20T09:39:00.000-04:00

This article recently appeared in Christian Today: "Who’s Jesus" 3D Interactive Website Introduces Basic Christian Faith: The first ever 3D interactive website WhosJesus.com has been launched by Back to the Bible International to share the Christian faith with many people in a new dynamic way. Excerpt below:

The first ever 3D interactive website WhosJesus.com has been launched by Back to the Bible International to share the Christian faith with many people in a new dynamic way. The website features real life images with interactive stories designed to touch the hearts of those who face similar experiences and offer them an answer.

Back to the Bible International's Dave Hansen described, "It is a website that allows you to go the site, look at a scene that scrolls in front of you, and as you're looking at that scene (you) see something happen or see someone pictured in that scene that relates to your life and when you click on that it takes you into the thought process of that individual."

Read the full article and see the Macromedia Flash powered website at WhosJesus.com

spiritual resources

2005-04-19T09:47:00.000-04:00

I don't know it all. So it's helpful to have resources available when engaging in spiritual conversations online, whether on a blog, a discussion forum, a chat room, or over email. The following websites are some spiritual resources that may be helpful:

AllAboutGod.com - Answers to common questions + links to other sites providing evidence of our faith for Seekers, Skeptics and Believers
Evangelism.com - A database offering multi-lingual, multi-format resources to share your faith in Christ
GotQuestions.org - Over 700 answers to frequently asked Bible questions (FAQs)
LeaderU.com - Resources addressing current issues geared for the academic mind
RedText.com - Online Bible with passage lookup and resources for NIV, NASB, KJV versions
bgc.gospelcom.net/iec/otoe/ - Evangelical Christian Online Training for Online Evangelists
gospelcom.net/home/search/ - Another useful knowedge base for online ministry questions

2005-04-18T10:03:00.000-04:00

This Dallas Morning News article, 'Retired' pastor takes on study Bible: Gene Getz expects to develop about 2,000 biblical principles, (free registration required) is a great example of sharing Godly wisdom with people around the world over the Internet. Excerpt follows:

"The weekly study is being videotaped so that church groups and individuals can eventually use it along with the study Bible. A videostream also is available online at www.renewalradio.org. It's already gaining an Internet audience. Romey Kilgore, a church member who began a soldiers' support group when troops were sent to Afghanistan, said she encouraged Dr. Getz to get the study on the Web site so that soldiers could follow along online. She's tracked about 100 U.S. soldiers in Iraq who are now plugged into the study. Troops log in at military facilities or Internet cafes."

Streaming or archiving audio and video online is usually much more cost-effective than a radio or television ministry, and has a potentially much larger audience reach. ForMinistry's affiliate partner MinistryCast can help you get started!

infinitechurch.com

2005-04-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

Chris Dillingham launched www.infinitechurch.com as an internet-only, interactive church. The vision is to bring a churchgoing experience to people around the world, with on-going praise and worship as well as regular Bible studies, prayer, and fellowship.

Www.infinitechurch.com is off to a good start, and I'd imagine it will reach people in a different way than traditional churches and even typical online ministries that offer content and/or conversation.

online evangelism and discipleship

2005-04-14T09:38:00.000-04:00

Karen Schenk (with TruthMedia Internet Group, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada) shared at the Internet Evangelism Conference about how TruthMedia does online ministry. TruthMedia runs a network of 22 websites in 12 languages, has over 800,000 visitors per month, and has over 400 volunteers providing mentoring online.

As a part of corporate transparency, and possibly to show how many people are interested in spiritual things online, TruthMedia posts its monthly statistics for all to see. TruthMedia also shares great articles about how to do online ministry at its Internet Ministry Training Center.

sharing stories

2005-04-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

Chris Forbes has helped the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma develop popular websites like www.mostimportantthing.org and www.code2life.com. Check out the free online e-cards, available for you to send a personal note to someone.

Chris also offers tips and seminars about ministry-related marketing at www.ministrymarketingcoach.com. The page titled Theology of Marketing may be of great initial interest.

ministry response centers

2005-04-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

Questions and answers can be a way of dialogue on the Internet. One of the ways to manage hundreds of online inquiries is through what Inter-LINC has developed, called ministry response centers. Through their web-based response centers, staff and volunteers can personally answer questions that website visitors have in response to reading content on one of their network of websites, like www.whoisjesus-really.org, www.growinginchrist.com, and the Evangelism Toolbox. (Inter-LINC is a part of WorldLINC and Campus Crusade for Christ)

Inter-LINC provide the training so you can get started in online ministry as a volunteer. See the many volunteer opportunities for you to participate.

free webinar on online ministry

2005-04-11T10:22:00.000-04:00

E-Church Essentials shares their philosophy of online ministry in a free webinar (an online presentation with audio and Powerpoint-like slides; requires Macromedia Flash). This presentation includes three sections: introduction to the great opportunity for ministry on the Internet, the cultural dynamics, and the strategies for effective online ministry.

I didn't watch the clock while I viewed the webinar, so it might last about 15 minutes in all. I felt it did provide an excellent overview and good strategies. See the webinar online.

GodBlogCon 2005 site launched

2005-04-08T08:42:00.000-04:00

The GodBlogCon website has launched, with information about this first Christian Bloggers Convention, to be held on October 13-15, 2005, at Biola University, La Mirada, California (near Los Angeles.) The website is a work in progress, online registration will be launched soon, and the blog there chronicles some of the behind-the-scenes commentary, alluding to some challenges with getting things organized.

I'm planning to attend (already booked my air travel) and hope to see you there!

Archives of IE21C Conference Sessions

2005-04-07T10:05:00.000-04:00

You can view all of the plenary sessions and workshops from the recent Internet Evangelism for the 21st Century Conference via the Internet as an on-demand streaming video. This costs just $20.00 for individual access, and will remain accessible for six months after it is made available on April 10th, 2005. Register online and make payment via Paypal.

Notes and resources from many of the workshops are already online. The conference blog and moblog (mobile photo album) are also online.

2005-04-06T12:52:00.000-04:00

Rowland Croucher is the founder of John Mark Ministries, a website with over 14,700 articles to serve pastors, church leaders, and Christians everywhere. He is also active in Usenet Newsgroups, engaging people in that part of the Internet frontier into dialogue about the Kingdom of God. He shared a vivid story during his workshop at the recent Internet Evangelism Conference about how a post to a newsgroup about a relevant topic there generated over a 1,000 unique visitors in just one day!

Rowland also generously shared notes from his workshops online, and his reflections of that event, which include his key learnings.

5loaves.net

2005-04-05T09:06:00.000-04:00

At the Internet Conference over the weekend, I got to meet Glen Moriarty, who had recently launched a social networking website called 5loaves.net. This news article was posted at the Regent University website: Regent professor launches Web site to network Christians worldwide. Here's some excerpts about the website:

Assistant Professor of Regent’s School of Psychology & Counseling Dr. Glen Moriarty has produced a ground-breaking Web site that is designed to link together Christians from all over the globe.

According to Moriarty, 5loaves integrates chat, blogging (Web logs), file sharing, and social networking, which is supported by revolutionary technology that is three steps ahead of anything else currently online. This enables the Web site to serve as a worldwide cyber-church that can dramatically increase a Christian’s number of connections, and virtually eliminate geographic barriers.

It's a website with a lot of potential, ready for thousands of people to share what they have with one another. Read the full article online and sign up for free at 5loaves.net.

Internet Evangelism Conference postlude

2005-04-04T10:53:00.000-04:00

I've just returned from the Internet Evangelism for the 21st Century Conference this past weekend, held at Lynchburg, Virginia's Liberty University. It was a great time of fellowship with some old and new friends, as well as seeing a wide range of ideas and examples for doing online ministry. The next dozen posts here at eQuip blog will review many of amazing things shared at the conference.

I (DJ Chuang) was part of the bloggers panel discussion, along with Will Samson, Nick Ciske, Steve Knight, and Stephen Shields. Each of us brought a distinct perspectives about blogging and its relationship to the church and online ministry, and it was well received based on the feedback we heard from the audience. We had 2 sessions of this panel discussion with 2 different audiences, and a wide range of questions. The audience was a good mix of those who know what blogging was, those who didn't know, and a few who actually did some blogging. Questions mainly revolved around 3 categories: technical, strategic/ practical, and concerns/ risks.

While plenty of information, tutorials, and examples of blogging on the Internet already, many people find it helpful to have a personal tour guide present information at a seminar. That's what we were there for, and that's what the eQuip blog is here for. Technical issues are largely specific to the blogging tool used, so the answers are best found in the user's manual and online support forum. Strategic issues are related to the individual's or organization's mission, goals, objectives, and philosophy. Concerns and risks seem to be the prevailing hurdle that prevents people and organizations from getting started with blogging.

What I've observed is 2 different perspectives about online ministry, between non-bloggers vs. bloggers, and how they engage its readers. Allow me a little liberty to oversimplify it as: content vs. conversation, authority vs. authenticity, official vs. transparent, controlled vs. "open source," infrequent updates vs. frequently updated, corporate vs. personal.

Other links & perspectives: Nick Ciske listed the URLs to websites and resources mentioned at the session. Stephen Shields summarized the Q&A session and his perspectives very well, listing his cautions and opportunities about blogging. Will Samson shared some of his personal concerns about the whole notion of evangelism.

Good Friday meditation

2005-03-25T09:09:00.000-05:00

The interfaith portal Beliefnet.com serves an engaging online multimedia meditation, "Bitter Journey: The Way of the Cross," based on traditions associated with Tenebrae services, the Stations of the Cross, and the Lamentations of Good Friday. May the life, death, and resurrection of Christ offer a new inspiration this Easter weekend!

www.prayerwindows.com

2005-03-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

One of the most helpful tips that greatly increased my appreciate for the arts was realizing that art is the language of emotions. And it could also increase your prayer life as well.

Www.prayerwindows.com presents an Internet gallery that uses paintings to help facilitate prayer in a creative manner. The artist, Bob Gilroy, uses creativity to express feelings and communicate with God. Directions are provided so viewers can learn how to see God reflected in their own lives through the arts.

Oremus

2005-03-23T08:36:00.000-05:00

www.oremus.org is dedicated to being a place of prayer: daily prayer and prayer resources on the Internet. The website includes resources for daily prayer and other worship, including a comprehensive compilation of hymns and liturgical texts. The Oremus Bible Browser includes three different versions of the Psalter used in Anglican worship and the New Revised Standard (US and British English) and the Authorized (King James) Versions of the Bible. A search engine for the entire website is now available as are links to other forms of Anglican daily prayer.

pray the news

2005-03-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

This week is somber and reflective for many Christian worshippers, as it is Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter. eQuip blog will feature online ministries that are helpful for being prayerful in a variety of ways.

The Carmelite Sisters of Indianapolis are engaged in an active life of prayer for the world, and have developed a way to Pray The News, as well as offering transforming lessons in their School of Prayer and a virtual altar where you can light a candle to offer a prayer.

Holy Week

2005-03-21T08:49:00.000-05:00

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, a traditional observation in many Christian churches to remember the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.

THE VOICE is the Internet web site of the Christian Resource Institute and CRI/Voice, a global and ecumenical ministry dedicated to providing biblical and theological resources for growing Christians. And CRI/Voice provides the following description about Holy Week:

Holy Week is the last week of Lent, the week immediately preceding Easter Sunday. It is observed in many Christian churches as a time to commemorate and enact the suffering (Passion) and death of Jesus through various observances and services of worship. While some church traditions focus specifically on the events of the last week of Jesus’ life, many of the liturgies symbolize larger themes that marked Jesus’ entire ministry. Observances during this week range from daily liturgical services in churches to informal meetings in homes to participate in a Christian version of the Passover Seder.

sermon lovers

2005-03-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

For those of you who are sermon aficionados, and those who prepare sermons as a part of their ministry or work, here's a handful of sermon websites: homiliesbyemail.com has homily subscriptions based on the Revised Common Lectionary, SermonIllustrator.org has over 3,200 free sermon illustrations, ExecutableOutlines.com has over 1,200 free sermons and Bible studies, and SermonCentral.com has over 70,000 free sermons, illustrations, and dramas.

One of the easier things that churches can share via the Web are sermon archives. It's easier in the sense that sermons are original content already produced weekly, and doesn't require additional work of production, just recording and uploading. Some notably larger archives are Piper's Notes, with years of John Piper's sermons, and wacriswell.org, The Criswell Legacy Sermon Library with over 2,000 sermons preached over W. A. Criswell's 55 years of ministry. Also see the Ray C. Stedman Library, and Chuck Smith's teachings in audio and with notes for the whole Bible.

Top 50 Reasons To Blog

2005-03-17T09:35:00.000-05:00

Neil Cox has listed 50 Reasons To Blog, with particular emphasis on blogging as a part of Christian witness. Neil is the founder of IndyChristian.com, the local web portal for Greater Indianapolis Christians, and is passionate about evangelism and cost-effective innovation.

Award winning Christian websites

2005-03-16T08:37:00.000-05:00

Among the different ways to learn from other websites include learning from bad examples as well as good examples. To learn from good examples (or in business parlance, best practices), here are some award-winning Christian websites listed in the ChristSites awards program:

The ChristSites awards program numerically rates Christian websites in 5 areas: content, design, technology, originality, and overall impression. Other Christian websites are listed by various categories at christsites.com.

prayer movements by Web

2005-03-15T09:14:00.000-05:00

The Internet is connecting hearts in prayer all around the world. Www.prayat7.com is a world campaign for interactive prayer, connecting people around the world for prayer at 7 o'clock twice a day. Www.24-7mission.com has non-stop prayer going for 5 years now, with a special focus for youth, and networks around different parts of the world. Incredible uses of Web technology to connect people with each other and the heart of God.

online Stations of the Cross

2005-03-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is making available spiritual resources for Lent, including
an online Stations of the Cross. One set is from Turkana, Kenya, with paintings reflecting the life and environment of the Turkana people. The other set is titled Stations of the Cross: children and their families walk with Jesus. For you to experience the sufferings of Jesus via this ancient meditative tradition, just in time for Holy Week.

ForMinistry blog sneak peek

2005-03-11T17:32:00.000-05:00

Get a sneak preview of the new ForMinistry blog that's almost ready for launch! We're anticipating that it will be a place where thoughtful reflections from our own staff will be voiced about the church, the word, and the mission of God.

Improving Your Church Website

2005-03-11T08:23:00.000-05:00

Mike Atkinson of uneekNet has posted an excellent series of free articles titled the "Improving Your Church Website":

An interview with Mike Atkinson: Are churches missing a golden opportunity?
Should a church have a website?
Search and ye shall (not) find
A great church website
A TON of great church websites!
Churches without websites
Reaching young adults on the web

uneekNet is also offering free tips and advice, a blog on Internet strategy & usability & marketing, and also professional services as a full-service Internet agency.

The Coalition of urban youth workers in New York City

2005-03-10T09:21:00.000-05:00

The Coalition of urban youth workers in New York City launched a new blog earlier this week at thecoalitionnyc.blogspot.com. Getting a website presence can be as easy as starting up a blog at a free service like blogger.com, which is how The Coalition did it.

The Coalition is a growing association of evangelical youth workers, youth pastors, and youth leaders that collaborate for city-wide and regional youth engagement efforts in the greater New York City area. Since October 2003, the Coalition has grownto over 60 leaders representing 40 ministries and youth groups. On the leadership team is Enid Almanzar from American Bible Society's Urban Youth Strategy. (ForMinistry.com is an Internet ministry of American Bible Society.)

women online

2005-03-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Something to learn from the number of websites specifically edify and empower women, and how they're presented to this group of people:

As magazines or portals: Women Today Magazine, Christian Women Today, SheLovesGod.com, and TodaysChristianWoman.com.

As organizations: Center for Emerging Female Leadership, EmergingWomenLeaders.org, and Titus 2 Ministries: Mentoring Women for Christ.

As online communities: Christian Women Connected, ChristianMom.com, and JoyPals.com.

What you can see is that different websites use different metaphors. And each metaphor works for certain kinds of people, and for certain needs. Magazines are great for information and content. Communities are great for those who can do conversations online, and build relationships apart from face-to-face contact.

Rob Williams at eministrynotes.com put it this way: a blog is like a seminar; a traditional website is like a conference speaker; a discussion board is like a cafeteria; an online community is like a reunion. Read that note in its entirety.

Crossmaps Christian Blogs

2005-03-08T09:22:00.000-05:00

Crossmap.com, a prominently growing Internet portal for all things Christian, has recently launched a free blogging tool called CrossmapBlogs.com. In its own announcement titled, Crossmap Launches Blogging Community, they describe the blog software as follows:

"The software we have chosen to power our blog community is renowned for its simplicity of use. To begin a blog, a user needs only to visit the registration page and submit his account information. From there, the account is immediately active and the user can blog right away. The posting interface contains a WYSIWYG editor, to simplify the process of formatting text. The admin section also simplifies many other functions, including specifying a unique template style for each blog."

If you haven't started blogging yet, this is a great place to start! (It took me less than 5 minutes to get a new blog setup.)

Lutheran leadership starts blogging

2005-03-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

Shel Holtz wrote about a new blog called Imprint, launched recently by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), after attending a seminar on corporate communication. The WELS church leadership has actively begun communicating with the general public, and opens the way to better connect with its congregations. In a time where organized religions are growing detached, blogging is a great way to reconnect!

reaching cities

2005-03-04T08:13:00.000-05:00

Reaching cities is an important way for reaching people for God's kingdom. From a United Nations report: "The world’s urban population will grow from 2.86 billion in 2000 to 4.98 billion by 2030 ... The world’s annual urban growth rate is projected at 1.8 per cent in contrast to the rural growth rate of 0.1 per cent and about 60 per cent of the world’s population will live in cities."

Two websites looking to serve cities: www.GodLovesIndy.com is focusing on Indianapolis, Indiana; www.ChristianCruz.com is focusing on Santa Cruz, California. Many other strategies and collaborations at serving cities is coordinated at www.cityreaching.com. Compare and contrast different ways of serving your city via the Web. What are the churches in your city doing?

Christian Computing Magazine goes digital

2005-03-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

Christian Computing Magazine (CCMag) has been in publication as a print magazine for over 17 years, keeping its readers informed on many areas of using technology and software for Christian ministry. And Ccmag.com is purportedly the first Christian magazine on the Internet.

Now the magazine has gone completely digital! As of February 2005, the print edition has ceased publication. The free digital edition has been popularly embraced by its readers, increasing from 2,000 to over 12,000. This is a clear example of the shift from print to digital, from proprietary to open source. The Adobe PDF format makes the magazine's content widely available to all, including its back issues going back to 2003.

The magazine also serves as a central point of contact for connecting those using technology for ministry. Its Technology & Ministry Conference is scheduled for April 13-15, 2005, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and a recent letter from the editor has expressed desire to relaunch a National Association of Christian Technology Ministers.

www.kidology.org

2005-03-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

www.kidology.org is an incredible resource, billed as more than a website. And I'd have to say it delivers a lot online. Kidology's mission is to equip and encourage those who minister to children. Kidology does this 24/7 via their website, and through providing practical training, creative teaching resources, and personal consultation. With excellent kid-friendly graphic design, easy-to-use navigation menus, those who are serving in children's ministry now have a high-quality web portal for all things related to fulfilling Jesus' own words: "Let the little children come to me."

church reviews

2005-03-01T09:18:00.000-05:00

Two local websites help people to find chuches, offering reviews of a church's theological and worship practices, as well as a rating for its website design. www.occhurches.org is for Orange County area churches, and www.sandiegochurches.org is for San Diego area churches. With many web-based tools for reviews on all kinds of products and services (movies, restaurants, books, electronics, beverages, etc.), a church comparison guide follows this genre well. Note that the reviewers at these two church review websites have a more conservative and stricter theological bias than those belonging to the broader, ecumenical audience of our sponsoring organization, American Bible Society.

Christian bloggers in person

2005-02-28T07:59:00.000-05:00

Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia Bloggers Meetup scheduled for Thursday evening, March 31st, 2005, in Laurel, Maryland. Jollyblogger and Pruitt are pulling it together. More >>

GodBlogCon 2005 has announced its dates and location: Thursday, October 13 to Saturday, October 15, at Biola University in Southern California. GodBlogCon is the first ever Christian Blogosphere Convention. Stay tuned at SmartChristian.com for more details.

www.kalosive.com

2005-02-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

Www.kalosive.com is the website for MyVerses -- "your digital assistant for successful Scripture memorization and meditation." This shareware can be installed into your Palm OS (4.0 or greater) personal digital assistant (PDA) so you can take Scripture verses with you more conveniently than those little cards. Interactive learning tools like scheduling and reporting keep you on pace to hide the Word of God in your heart and mind.

Granted, this isn't an online ministry per se (however, it is using the Web to distribute software), but it is great use of personal technology!

HolyStory.com

2005-02-24T07:45:00.000-05:00

HolyStory.com produces interactive stories from the Bible presented in a friendly way, using cartoon clips and voice. With so many websites designed for an adult audience, it's good to find that there are some that encourage children to learn the Bible online.

www.dvotional.com

2005-02-23T08:58:00.000-05:00

d/votional project is an online, multimedia celebration of Christian youth in the 21st century. The website's tagline is "hope for a digital generation", launched in June 2001. (Macromedia Flash required.)

Acts of Mercy

2005-02-22T07:32:00.000-05:00

This Christian Post article, Saddleback Church Launches Website to Support AIDS Initiative, describes the launch of a new website and initiative:

The 22,000-member Saddleback mega church in Lake Forest, California, launched a website earlier this month as part of an initiative to support church-to-church relief, aid and training. The website, www.acts-of-mercy.com, currently includes suggested resources, links, and an invitation to a HIV Awareness Conference at Saddleback Church slated for November 28-30, 2005.

Read the full article online. Also see the PEACE plan drafted by Rick and Kay Warren. (Rick Warren was recently featured as one of American's most influential evangelicals in Time Magazine.)