Megachurches Use Software To Help Keep Track of Members
By admin | August 13, 2008
Megachurches use software to help keep track of members
By ANGELA SHAH
ashah@dallasnews.com
On any given Sunday, about 5,000 kids come into the children’s ministry at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano.
Families form lines and check in at 32 kiosks spread among the church’s six entrances, swiping “Quick Passes” at the self-service machines. Parents register the kids for classes, then a kiosk spits out sticky name badges for both parent and child with identifying information: child’s and parent’s names, classroom and any food allergies.
About a dozen of the kiosks have volunteers standing by to help families who have forgotten their digitized cards.
Badges in hand, parents walk their kids to one of 85 classrooms for a Bible-focused story hour, playtime or worship before they themselves head off for services in Prestonwood’s main sanctuary.
“This was essential to us,” Prestonwood executive pastor Mike Buster said of the technology to ensure children’s safety. “Volunteers are at every entrance making sure everyone has a badge.”
Prestonwood relies on a special computer software designed for churches to keep track of who is where – not just which children should go home with which parents.
Beyond keeping kids safe, congregants get a virtual town square where they can go online to request counseling on a variety of spiritual and personal matters or sign up their children for Bible study or sports leagues.
Pastor Buster said the software helps church leaders retain a sort of intimacy among the 27,000-member congregation.
“We want to make Prestonwood not feel like a big church but a small town,” he said.
To build its ecclesiastical nerve center, the church turned to Fellowship Technologies.
The Irving firm grew out of tech efforts at a Grapevine church in 2004 and has bloomed into a data and software company catering to 870 churches in 46 states and eight countries.
Using the Internet, Fellowship Tech helps churches digitize operations just like a secular business would – from wristbands for children in day care (think hospitals) to tracking which members stop attending (try dropping your cable service) to monitoring tithing levels (just as the American Cancer Society might contact someone who stopped giving).
LifeChurch.tv of Edmond, Okla., is another Fellowship Technologies customer.
Topics: Technology | No Comments »
Internet Ministry: I Like Twitter and You Will Too!
By admin | August 12, 2008
Internet Ministry: I Like Twitter and You Will Too!
Ministry is about providing service for the glory of God. In order to provide that service. We communicate with people with the objective of letting them see God’s glory within us. So effective ministry, always involves communication with people.
Internet ministry, at its root, is also about communication! Because the technology of the Internet allows us greater access to a huge number of people, it is a great medium to expand the Kingdom of God.
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How To SELL on Twitter?Any copywriter will tell you about a 4-part formula for selling: AIDA. A - Attention Of the 4 components, the first two are yours for the asking - on Twitter. Your followers chose to be in your network for a reason. You already have their attention. You’ve got to work on the INTEREST. And that’s where too many Twitter marketers fall flat on their face Dr. Mani: Excerpted from “How to Profit From Twitter” a special report on the intelligent use of Twitter for marketing. |
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With the advent of Web 2.0 technology, social networking, blogging, as well as, teleconferencing, we may feel overwhelmed about what systems to use in order to communicate with people for the Kingdom. I don’t mean to suggest that every time we speak to someone, it should be about salvation. However, no one will care about salvation, until they know that we are real people who care about them.
We are now communicating with people that we otherwise would not have access to in the past. However, because of various problems with e-mail communications, instant messaging, and privacy, these same people are becoming more difficult to reach.
Since I spend large amounts of my day on line, I’m very cautious about jumping on board with new platforms. But, recently I found a platform that really worked for purposes that I had never consciously intended.
Over the last few months there’s been a lot of buzz about twitter. Twitter me this, and twitter me that. Nonetheless, I was not all a twit over twitter. After all, I already had a Myspace page. My face was on Facebook. I was tubing on Youtube, and I even had a few friends who had developed networks using NING.
So the last thing I wanted was another social networking tool. Especially one that would allow people to see what I was doing every day all day. I didn’t believe I needed another distraction. I was already behind enough already.
But when I started using twitter, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Three things impressed me about twitter.
1. I could easily find and access others that were doing Internet ministry (or any niche), and who I could learn from and share with, in the process.
2. I found highly involved people on twitter and was able to carry on conversations, even though they would never have even answered my e-mail, otherwise.
3. I found information that was still in the planning stages and seminars I was unaware of. This allowed me to be prepared, strategically, to better serve my mission and objectives.
In my mind twitter has been more effective in helping me promote Internet ministry than any of the other social networks. It is so much simpler to use than Myspace, so much more responsive than Facebook, so much more interactive than LinkedIn.
In other words, I just like it! I think you will too!
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How To SELL on Twitter?Any copywriter will tell you about a 4-part formula for selling: AIDA. A - Attention Of the 4 components, the first two are yours for the asking - on Twitter. Your followers chose to be in your network for a reason. You already have their attention. You’ve got to work on the INTEREST. And that’s where too many Twitter marketers fall flat on their face Dr. Mani: Excerpted from “How to Profit From Twitter” a special report on the intelligent use of Twitter for marketing. |
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FYI my twitter page is http://twitter.com/ifeelgod - Come Follow there!
For more information on using technology in ministry visit http://fromchurch.com
Topics: Micro-Blogs, Ministry, Online Media, blogging | No Comments »
[Church Websites] CMS’s Are Great Resources for Church Webmasters
By admin | August 11, 2008
Church Websites:
CMS’s Are Great Resources for Church Webmasters
Tala Ko posted some information that I thought was excellent on her blog. However, of the church websites I see, most will never be very effective because they have a lack of fresh content.
Whether this problem is a result of a lack of finances for a web designer to update the site, a failure by the church to understand the importance of fresh content, or other problems related to a shortage of volunteers to make the updates, the result is the same, an ineffective web site that does not really help the church or ministry.
Creating church websites should not be a daunting task. If you have read very many of my articles and posts, you know that I am a firm proponent of using Content Management systems for church websites.
When church web development teams use content management systems several benifits are immediate.
1) A CMS eliminates the need for a programmer or web designer when updates to the website are needed. The church secretary could actually add this duty to her schedule or a volunteer could be recruited to ensure that new announcements, activities, and meetings are updated on a weekly or semi-weekly basis.
2) A CMS provides a consistent presentation across the entire website. Pages are consistent, resources are more easily defined, and readers feel comfortable with exploring the site.
3) A CMS will usually provide various levels of access for guests, members, authors, contributors, and administrators. That means that you can let people view information based on their level of interaction and trust with the ministry. Members can see information that visitors can not. Department heads can see information that regular members cannot. This feature is a great asset when the ministry wishes to communicate with members but does not want to expose the information to the general public.
4) A CMS usually has a security system that has been vetted from use on many different websites. It is true, that an independent programmer could produce a html system that has various access levels. But at best, unexposed bugs could exist because certain keystrokes had never been entered in a unexpected sequence. This is a common problem with systems that are not heavily used by different users in different ways. Exposing your member’s contact information to the world is not a good thing. Security on one of the popular CMS systems is thousands of times more trustworthy than on a standalone environment.
5) A CMS provides for fast deployment and implementation. Many CMS systems come ready to be installed by most web hosting companies, there is no need to hire someone to even do the installation. For instance many web hosts like http://ifghosting.com and http://godaddy.com have applications like Cpanel included in the cost of even the most basic hosting. (Another reason to avoid free web hosting at all cost)
Because most Content Systems also come with 100’s of templates, also known as themes or skins, ready to be customized. Getting a website online requires the creation of a masthead graphic for the website, which is the same size as the masthead on the template you want to use. You will need someone with some skills to replace that masthead and install the template but that is not a major problem using rent-a-coder.com or elancer.com. Themes also exist that will automatically include your church name in the templates existing masthead.
6) A CMS may have zero cost. Many of the most popular and available content management systems are open-source. Open source systems cost you nothing to use. The developers (many of the systems have 100’s on their development teams), come together with the desire to work together to create a system to meet the needs of various businesses. Then the give the product away.
Some of the most popular CMS system like Joomla (my favorite), php-nuke, drupal, plone, and many others are distributed as open-source systems. A completely functioning Content System could be deployed in less than a day if all the materials (pictures, biographies, department descriptions etc) are readily available.
For more information, like this, on using technology in ministry, visit http://fromchurch.com
Bishop James Brown aka “I Feel God” is the founder or the http://1000churches.org network and he is called “The Internet’s Favorite Pastor”. In addition, Bishop is a prolific writer and speaker who is in demand for his insights. You can read his daily Blog at http://ifeelgod.org and find information on using the Internet for ministry at http://fromchurch.com
independent programmer, content management systems, CMS, ineffective web sites, authors, contributors, church web development team, church websites, consistent presentation, church secretary, church web, web designer, web security system, volunteers
Topics: Online Media, Technology | No Comments »
The 7 Components Of Effective Website Design And Marketing
By admin | August 6, 2008
The 7 Components Of Effective Website Design And Marketing
By Chris Swemba Copyright © 2008
1. Target Audience: (Who Buys From You?) The foundation of effective web marketing is the ‘who.’ Determining your target audience, their needs, wants, level of knowledge, goals, etc., is critical to creating a website that will be effective at either lead generation or e-commerce.
2. Core Message: (What Exactly do You Offer?) Flowing directly from who you want to target, is the question of what you want to say to them. Your core message delivers your value proposition in a clear and compelling way. Your core message is not a mission statement, or an executive summary of your strategic plan. Your core message is essentially a list of the reasons that people do business with you - written from their perspective.
3. Site Structure: (Is it Easy to Navigate?) Many websites are little more than on-line brochures. Visitors are free to click between this page and that, reading a little here and a little there. The result is that a site visitor develops very little emotional attachment, and the ‘back button’ is increasingly enticing. Sales people intuitively understand that their message must be delivered in the right sequence - A, B, C, then D, which leads to E. A website that is carefully structured can accomplish this same effect, building understanding and buy-in, step-by-step. At the end of that ‘presentation’ the visitor takes the next step willingly.
Topics: Online Media, Technology | No Comments »
Florida Southern Baptist Church Ministering To People Locally and Reaching Out Through The Web
By admin | July 21, 2008
Florida Southern Baptist Church Ministering To People Locally and Reaching Out Through The Web
A Southern Baptist church in Florida is not only reaching people locally, but is also reaching out to members through the World Wide Web.
Flamingo Road Church in Fort Lauderdale is one of a growing number of churches trying to make the most out of the Internet. The church offer podcasts, fast-moving videos with eye-catching graphics, and has Internet members. But some question whether a church’s Internet members can really connect with the church. Heredes Riberio, media director for the church, says there is a way to make Internet members feel connected.
“…[W]e had someone watching from Barbados, and we had someone who had been watching online faithfully,” says Riberio. “We had a call for baptism. They signed up for baptism and decided to fly to Fort Lauderdale to get baptized.”
He explains there are faithful members who give online, communicate, and keep in touch by video and e-mail. “…[T]here are challenges. We’re working them as they come,” he acknowledges.
According to Riberio, South Florida is represented by 34 different languages and a very Catholic culture. “…They just don’t want to deal with church, [they] don’t want to go to church,” he continues. “Grandma went to church, that was her little thing. [But] 94 percent of South Florida does not attend church and could care less,” says Riberio.
He encourages churches to make it a priority to have a quality Internet presence. Flamingo Road Church is hosting a regional leadership summit next month.
Topics: Ministry | No Comments »