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Making Facebook fan pages for churches and Christian ministries part 2
Part 2 of the series of the excellent tutorials from Church 2.0 is now online. You can view Part 1.
See also Equipping for Eministry blog post – Part 1 of Are You Using Facebook Effectively?
And August is OurChurch.com’s Social Media Month with coverage of many aspects. Latest posting is 5 Myths Believed by Those on the Social Media Sidelines.
http://internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/2237
Putting an introductory video on your church website
A short introductory video on your church site is a great way to introduce outsiders to your fellowship. Coton Green Church in Tamworth UK has produced, in-house, an excellent video providing a gentle low-key introduction to the fellowship.
http://internetevangelismday.com/church-video.php
Free church website tips: build an effective evangelistic church site to reach your community
Design and build a website to reach the community
“A church is the only organization that exists primarily for the benefit of non-members”
– William Temple
“Week in, week out, more visitors turn up at our church on a Sunday because of the website, than anything else”
– King’s Church, Kingston UK: a church site design using these principles
http://internetevangelismday.com/church-site-tips.php
Church webmaster page: design, plan, build or upgrade good church websites to best reach your community
Church websites are an essential part of local churches’ public profiles to their communities. Indeed, in some parts of the world, church websites draw more people into face-to-face church activities than any other method. Church sites outnumber all other types of Christian sites by a ratio of 5 to 1. Church sites could therefore be powerful outreach tools. However, research reveals a discouraging picture.
http://internetevangelismday.com/church.php
Church evangelism: short story about using your church website for evangelism
“We need more lodgers,” said Maria Silversmith to her husband Milo one evening. Ten years back, they had bought their large rambling house to accommodate six children as well as two elderly relatives. With only the two younger children now left at home, the house seemed achingly empty, even with the presence of Tim their lodger, who had become like one of the family. “Let’s make a webpage, then people looking for lodgings can easily find us,” suggested Milo.
http://internetevangelismday.com/church-evangelism.php
Reaching the unchurched - short story about cutting edge soul winning: Emlyn & the Far Pools
“I wish there were more,” said Emlyn to his family, as he brought his fish-catch into the house. After all, the whole village depended on fish. It was even a requirement of the landlord that the village should catch sufficient fish for market. Only then would it grow and prosper.
http://internetevangelismday.com/fishing.php
Usability - the key to helping and keeping site visitors
It is sad but true, that very many websites fall down in the area of usability. Because the site designers knows their sites backwards, they fail to appreciate that a first-time visitor will see things very differently. It’s like visiting a new city as a tourist, rather than being a native dweller!
http://internetevangelismday.com/usability.php
Case Study: comparison of women's webpages demonstrates effective evangelism strategies
Some Christians might look at Christian Women Today, notice the comfortable familiar Christian words on front and inner pages: ‘prayer’, ‘repentance’, ‘saved’, etc., and say, “Ah, this is an evangelistic site. This must preach the Gospel.”
But no! Christian Women Today is designed for Christians. All those Christian words are ‘insider’ terms which exclude rather than enlighten. No doubt some non-Christians visit, as they will any site. In fact, Women Today Magazine is the site that has been carefully written for non-Christians. Because both sites have been produced by the same team, and have many similarities, we have a unique opportunity to understand why it is so important to target each audience in a different way.
http://internetevangelismday.com/case-study.php
Book review: Fusion - Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church, by Nelson Searcy
This expands on Searcy’s well-known Assimilation Seminar. Some suggestions in the book may not be equally applicable to all cultures, or might only work if modified. Not all would be appropriate in UK, for instance.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/fusion-turning-first-time-guests-into-full...
Free e-book: How to Think Like an Unchurched Person, by Pastor Bob Franquiz
What is it like to visit a church for the first time as an outsider? Bob Franquiz is a pastor who had never visited a synagogue before. He applies his experience to helping first-time visitors, both on a church website and when they arrive in person, in this useful 6-page PDF e-book.
http://internetevangelismday.com/bookreviews/think-like-an-unchurched-person.php