Current Issue
May 2012
Blogs
Making it personal
Sometimes when interacting with blogs and other social media we forget that there is an actual person at the other end of the line.
Posted 05/09/2012
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Why you might want to check out WePay…
The digital world has launched a host of online payment opportunities--many of them used by churches. WePay--a competitor to Paypal--is specifically offering a tool to raise money for a goal. Plus it is simple to set up and use making it ideal for collecting payments to fund a mission trip or go in on a shared gift.
Posted 03/21/2012
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Three trends for technology and auditoriums
While there are some exciting things on the horizon in terms of what technology makes possible, there are some cultural shifts that are driving the way technology will be used in these rooms in the future.
Posted 01/31/2012
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What is the one thing you plan to STOP doing in 2012?
I was inspired this week by Dorie Clark’s post in the Harvard Business Review on the “5 things you should stop doing in 2012.” It made me curious if there might be a list of things that would be beneficial for church technical teams to consider eliminating in order to make space for better, more effective practices. So I asked some of the most talented church creative and technical leadership that I know, and this is what they had to say…
Posted 01/06/2012
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Do you know about Square?
Square allows you to accept credit/debit card payments from your mobile phone--which allows even the smallest of churches to facilitate transactions with a swipe.
Posted 12/19/2011
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Finding time to unplug during advent
While advent is a time for peaceful reflection on the birth of Christ, for church technical teams it is often just the opposite as they work to create the experience. Find the time to unplug.
Posted 12/07/2011
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WFX 2011 - Exploring the Social Media Landscape
I had the opportunity to speak at WFX this week in Dallas about the social media landscape to explore the why, how, and to brainstorm ideas for content beyond posting sermon videos.
Posted 11/11/2011
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What I love about Google Voice
Google Voice bills itself as "telephony reinvented." As a reinvention it is pretty great. And in digital world fashion, it blurs the lines between computer, mobile and phone.
Posted 10/24/2011
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SEO for beginners
There are whole firms dedicated to consulting on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so the topic is pretty broad, but there are some simple things you can do to improve your ranking in non-paid search.
Posted 10/10/2011
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Catching up with the tools
One of the challenges of rapidly changing technology is that it takes time for the behaviors of the people using the technology to catch up.
Posted 08/22/2011
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What should we do with Google +
Chances are if you are active in social media at all you've been invited to Google+. So, are you using it?
Posted 08/05/2011
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The Social Media Audit
If you've been engaged in social media for awhile, it is probably a good idea to zoom out and look at your platform as a whole to determine which efforts are gaining traction and which are falling flat so you can refocus your efforts. This post is designed to help you do just that.
Posted 07/05/2011
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Apps for spiritual development
We have apps for everything from productivity to fun...but what about apps for spiritual development? The following is a list of some that may not be on your radar...yet.
Posted 06/17/2011
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Quick and easy websites
Sometimes you don't need bells and whistles. Just something simple. Something that doesn't require you to know HTML. Something that could be edited as easily as a Word document. Luckily, the blogging platforms know this...and they have just made it easier than ever to get what you want.
Posted 05/09/2011
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Are we all cyborgs?
It is hard to talk about technology without getting a little bit of pushback. "I prefer interacting face-to-face" Or, you might hear someone talking about their latest media fast. Anthropologist, Amber Case, explores technology and how it impacts our selves.
Posted 04/29/2011
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Twitter 102 - Using Twitter as an Organization
While many of us are using Twitter personally, there are reasons to use it for organizations as well. Here are three tips for Twitter that your church or organization may find useful...
Posted 04/14/2011
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Applications for Managing Social Media
Social media thrives on real-time interactions and current content making management of multiple social media outlets a real challenge. Luckily, the digital world has a variety of applications to handle all of your social media streams in a unified way. Here is a look at some of the tools you might want to explore...
Posted 04/01/2011
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Using Digital World Tools to Improve Meetings
If you are part of church leadership, chances are you attend a lot of meetings. The good thing is that there are digital world tools that can help make meetings clearer, more effective, and hopefully shorter!
Posted 03/10/2011
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Digital World Culture Shifts | From Polished to Authentic
The digital world takes away the ability to manage image. What used to be carefully crafted brands, companies, and celebrities now have their flaws revealed. And surprisingly, we love that....
Posted 01/20/2011
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Meet the Cartographers | Camron Ware of VisualWorshiper.com
There is no map for the digital world. Like cartographers, those exploring ministry using new technology are writing their own. One of these digital world cartographers is Camron Ware of VisualWorshiper.com. Camron is breaking new ground using technology to create environments for a digital culture that is longing for ‘image-rich’ in the physical world.
Posted 12/08/2010
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Digital Church 101 | Overview of the Culture Shift
Want to catch one of the presentations you missed at WFX? If so, here is the presentation on the overview of the culture shifts being caused by the digital world.
Posted 11/04/2010
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Digital Church 101 | Overview of the Social Media Landscape
As always, WFX is a fantastic place to connect face-to-face and find out what is happening on the cutting-edge of ministry. If you were able to attend the Digital Church 101 session, here is the portion of the presentation focused on the social media landscape.
Posted 11/04/2010
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The best apps to load before WFX in Atlanta
You know the drill. You go to WFX, meet tons of new people, then get back to your real world with memories of great conversations and a stack of business cards or slips of paper with scribbled phone numbers and Twitter names that sit and mock you from a pile on your desk. Luckily, the digital world offers a preemptive strike so that this year will be different. And that is just in a single app...
Posted 10/20/2010
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Planning for Crisis Communications
The digital world means that bad news can spread more quickly than ever before. Does your church have a crisis communications plan in place?
Posted 10/08/2010
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Celebrating the Hyperlocal
As effective as the digital world is in creating community in cyberspace, web applications are morphing to match the desire for tangible, local communities. This trend is intersecting with another interesting trend--the decline of the local newspaper. The result is a change in the vehicles we use for the expression and characterization of geographic communities.
Posted 09/15/2010
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Managing Image on the Web
You can't control what people post on the web...however, you can influence your own image.
Posted 09/02/2010
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Ten “Crash Landing” Strategies for Facing Down the Blinking Cursor
Blogs live and die based on consistent content. So what are you supposed to do when your blinking cursor is mocking you and you haven't a single idea at all? Well, you could test drive the following "crash landing" strategies....
Posted 08/24/2010
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Virtual Teaming
One of the best things about the digital world is its capacity to facilitate virtual teaming. Churches have greater access to other churches than ever before. And for pastors, creatives, musicians and technical teams, this potential for connection not only creates community but also can make the day job a whole lot easier.
Posted 07/27/2010
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Designing your Mobile Site
With more and more people accessing your site via their phone, it is becoming important to develop a mobile version of your site. Here are some things to consider while planning it.
Posted 06/30/2010
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Digital World Culture Shifts | Privacy vs. Transparency
The debate about Facebook's privacy policies raises new awareness over how transparent our information really is. As the digital world exposes things once considered private, what should we do about that?
Posted 05/20/2010
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Developing your Social Media Strategy
As easy as it is to engage social media personally, for organizations the dynamic is different. While personally, it might be about broadcasting your "lifestream," for organizations there has to be purpose. Here are some things to consider when mapping out your social media strategy.
Posted 05/07/2010
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Meet the Cartographers | Andrew Conard of Resurrection Online
There is no map for online ministry. Like cartographers, those exploring ministry using online tools are having to write their own. One of these new digital ministry cartographers is Andrew Conard of Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas who serves as pastor of the church's online campus.
Posted 03/30/2010
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Digital World Culture Shifts | Leadership Changes
While "digital world" fluency isn't strictly divided on generational lines, there is a difference between those raised on the technology and those who have had to learn it. Gallup reports that in 2008, 50% of the US workforce was made up of the Boomer generation. In 2018, the dominant group (43%) will be Millennials. Given that the Millennials are "wired digitally" that's a huge shift for us to make in our organizations and structures in just eight years--a shift that has leadership in industries from advertising to architecture talking. So, what might this mean for church leadership?
Posted 03/11/2010
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Top 10 Reasons Linked In is Useful
Even if you are secure in your employment, chances are that a large percentage of your congregation is not. One of the ways you can help "digital immigrants" leverage the digital world in a job search is by coaching people not only how to do it, but why to do it. People use technology they find useful. So, here are the Top 10 reasons LinkedIn is useful in the current economic climate...
Posted 02/11/2010
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Meet the Cartographers | Mark Horvath of invisiblepeople.tv
There is no map for online ministry. Like cartographers, those exploring ministry using online tools are having to write their own. One of these new digital ministry cartographers is Mark Horvath of invisiblepeople.tv. Mark's vlog is having the type of impact on his community most churches strive for but few reach.
Posted 01/15/2010
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Posterous 101
If you are using multiple media outlets to create an online presence for your church--or even if you are just maintaining your own personal lifestream--Posterous makes it easy to get content where you want it, or to simply pull all kinds of content (blog posts, 140 character tweets, images, etc) into a single stream.
Posted 12/15/2009
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Meet the Cartographers | Paul Watson of reachingtheonlinegeneration.com
There is no map for online ministry. Like cartographers, those exploring ministry in the online culture are having to write their own. One of these new digital ministry cartographers is Paul Watson of ReachingTheOnlineGeneration.com. Paul shares a few things he's learned while "Lewis and Clarking" the digital world.
Posted 12/02/2009
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On communication, connection and static
One of the beautiful things about the digital world is that you have access to people you never had access to before. There is unprecedented opportunity to connect in a digital world. However, the flip side is that everyone knows this, so the volume from salesmen, marketers, old friends, business people, charities and causes is at an all time high. So given that you have this amazing opportunity being obscured by the static, how do you communicate in a way that connects?
Posted 11/18/2009
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Church in the Digital World at WFX
If you are making plans to be in Charlotte in two weeks, come explore Church in the Digital World live.
Posted 10/15/2009
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Search Engines | Are you Visible?
It may come as a surprise to you that some of the most engaging church websites are completely invisible to search engines. If you've Googled your site lately and aren't happy with the results, there are some things you can do to help your site's performance and make your church easier to find by those who are looking.
Posted 09/28/2009
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Webinars
While desktop video conferencing is great for smaller groups with bi-directional communication, webinars are primarily one-way with a speaker presenting content to a large audience. Ever thought about hosting a webinar? Wondered which provider to use? What it takes to plan one? If so, read on...
Posted 08/20/2009
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Digital World Culture Shifts | Navigating Conflicts
It would be great if the world changed uniformly and at an even pace, but the reality is that we all find places where the world as it has been collides with the world as it is going to be. So, how do you handle it when a changing world presents conflict?
Posted 07/27/2009
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Finding Inspiration
Creating content for a digital world can be artistically demanding. Here are a few things to try if you find your internal creative tank on empty.
Posted 06/23/2009
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Digital World Culture Shifts | How Real Time Interaction is Changing Everything
The ability for real time interaction is changing things and while many are writing about how this affects business, I'm curious how this shift is affecting the church...
Posted 06/03/2009
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The Power of the Face-to-Face
One of the reasons the digital world is so powerful is that it can virtually replicate the experience of face-to-face dialogue. However, this week, at WFX--we are enjoying the real thing.
Posted 05/14/2009
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Cultivating Clarity
We live in a complex world. (But you already knew that.) There is a growing role for people who are gifted at taking the complex and making it simple. Videographers, web designers, artists, pastors, educators and a host of other communicators with a gift for clarity are in high demand. Where do you fit in?
Posted 05/02/2009
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Google Site Search
If you have a content-rich website, adding a search feature can be as simple and affordable as Google Site Search.
Posted 04/07/2009
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Desktop Video Conferencing
Webcams and free applications make desktop video conferencing accessible to just about everyone. Here's what's out there that you might want to test drive.
Posted 03/14/2009
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Twitter 101
There is a lot of hype about Twitter lately. So, if you're asking, "What's the deal?" you aren't alone. This post explores the basics of what it is, how to use it and what it can and cannot do for you.
Posted 02/04/2009
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The Web Audit
We've become so accustomed to our own websites that we barely see them anymore--if we even visit them at all. How long has it been since you viewed your site from the eyes of a newcomer?
Posted 01/20/2009
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Digital Photography 101
When digital cameras first came on the scene, for the most part they were used like film cameras. But now digital photography has a life and language all its own. Is your church using photos to connect?
Posted 01/08/2009
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The Word in the Palm of Your Hand
It was revolutionary back in the day when the Gideons put Bibles in every hotel room. Now Lifechurch.TV is putting it in the palm of your hand.
Posted 12/17/2008
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Non Linear Presentations
Though tools like PowerPoint and MediaShout have the capacity to allow you to skip around, they work best in sequence. So what do you do when a linear presentation just doesn’t fit the bill?
Posted 11/28/2008
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Top Five Digital World Reads (for today anyway)
Some of the best "digital world" thinking out there is available simply by spending a few hours with a book in your hands. Or an mp3 player. Or a Kindle...
Posted 10/27/2008
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The Joy of Xobni
In the world of plugins, widgets and random data, Xobni is actually pretty cool.
Posted 10/09/2008
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Eight Ways You Can Connect beyond Sunday AM for Free
Want to connect with your congregation beyond Sunday AM? Maybe something more interesting than simply sending an e-mail? Here are eight ways you could connect digitally during the week. And the best part is it is all free!
Posted 09/25/2008
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Managing Your Personal Profile on the Web
This new world of unlimited information is changing the rules about what is known about us. And though shredders make us feel better about protecting ourselves, the truth is, there is an awful lot out there that we simply don't have control over. And, this can be a good thing...
Posted 09/05/2008
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A New Digital Tool for Ministry Communication and Connection
A new product by the Pursuant Group puts the power of connection and communication into the hands of your ministry leaders in true digital-world fashion.
Posted 08/26/2008
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The Digital World in the Palm of Your Hand
While the new iPhone 3G is sleek, sophisticated and has an exponential coolness factor, its real power is in convergence.
Posted 08/05/2008
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Hackers, Steampunkers and the Sunday AM Experience
The digital world brings with it the concept of art based on altering something existing in addition to art as something newly created. From open source software (that is continually being added to and modified), to altered books, to steampunked guitars, people aren't just leaving things as they are...they are becoming hackers.
Posted 07/24/2008
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Adventures in Church 2.0 | Guest Blog - Kelsen Depp
I met Kelsen Depp of Countryside Church in Michigan City, Indiana via e-mail after the Church 2.0 article came out in the January 2008 issue of Church Production. I asked him to keep in touch with me on their experiences. This from Kelsen...
Posted 07/14/2008
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Adventures in Church 2.0
For the most part, bi-directional communication in a worship service is uncharted territory. Yesterday morning at my home church; however, we gave it a try.
Posted 07/07/2008
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So what is this whole del.icio.us thing anyway?
Del.icio.us is just one more way of trying to make sense of the miscellaneous pool of data available to us on the WWW. Luckily, it is a good one.
Posted 07/03/2008
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A Cool Digital Find for Musicians…
Corevalus' Same Page system brings the digital world live to your music stand.
Posted 06/24/2008
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Communication in the Digital World…Part 2
In the digital world, there are no captive audiences. How do you need to adjust your communications strategies to truly connect?
Posted 06/11/2008
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Communication in the Digital World…Part 1
Communication in a digital world is highly visual. The great part of that is that digital communication when compared to print communication is relatively inexpensive. The bad part of that is that expectations for your print communication just jumped.
Posted 05/30/2008
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The Wonderful World of Wikis
A look at why wikis are special and why you might want to use one in your ministry context.
Posted 05/20/2008
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Mind Shifts
Allowing old structure to constrain your thinking about the future is a continual challenge. And it is a challenge for everyone. What mind shifts have to happen to get you where you want to go?
Posted 05/08/2008
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The Power of 140 Characters or Less
Text messaging has power way beyond the simple act of getting information from Point A to Point B. If you haven’t fully explored your cell phone’s capability with text messaging, you might want to take some of the following creative options for a test drive.
Posted 04/30/2008
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The Facebook Experiment
Digital immigrants and digital natives react to social networking applications differently. Here's what I found out while researching an article...
Posted 04/21/2008
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Social Networking Apps
Social networking applications are changing the way we connect, communicate and collaborate. Take a look at what's out there and why you might be interested in participating.
Posted 04/14/2008
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RSS Feeds
Keeping up with the things that interest you can be time consuming. Thankfully, the digital world came up with RSS feeds.
Posted 04/04/2008
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Adding Your Church to the Blogosphere
A look at the risk and rewards of adding a blog to your church’s website along with some tools to help you explain the idea to your leadership team if you decide it is for you.
Posted 03/25/2008
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Postcard from a Digital World
Church technical teams are in a unique position to help churches navigate the culture shift.
Posted 03/14/2008
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