Creating Websites
Here are sites I used for all our web related needs.
www.misk.com This is for our domain registration (then I forward everything from there to my host site). This also gives us several emails (using our domain name) which forwards email to whatver account I choose. Mine go to me, prayer email goes to our prayer team leaders, etc.
www.freewebs.com This hosts my site. If you fish around, you’ll find the “No banner ads” option for $10 per year. This has given us plenty of memory to store our files, etc, and we've not had enough traffic to shut it down. We average about 500-800 hits per month total. Very user friendly to edit from anywhere online.
Use a blog. Some churches/groups use a free blog to create a site. I just don't know how to edit mine quickly enough, plus we already have everything uploaded at Freewebs.
Promote your site: Speaking of hits, load up the meta words and description boxes that are provided by Misk and Freewebs. Use as many common words to describe your site, location, city, ministries, etc. You will see that by googling "chapel ridge lions" or "st joe community church" that we are on the first search page, and we don't pay anything for web promotion. My goal is to simply be very easy to find if they know our name, or at least part of our name.
I get great ideas for webs stuff, podcasting, etc. from www.churchcommunicationspro.com They have a blog entry on how to get free podcast hosting. They also recommend using a blog to create a church website, but I’m not so familiar with using that. Our ideas on this blog entry are a drop in the bucket compared to their resource ideas. They create and host sites too, but we're still happy with ours.
Online Surveys/Registrations: We used www.icebrrg.com to create an online registration form for our VBS (we called it Day Camp). Up to 500 entries for only $9 per month, and you can cancel anytime. It puts all the data in Excel form, so you can download the file and manipulate the registration info any way you like, mail merge for letters, labels, etc. You can do a "How are we doing" survey, or any other online poll you want. The best part is that anyone can enter data for you. For instance, when we had people register by paper for our Day Camp (almost all of our 120 kids registered online), I just gave them to a worker who went home and registered them for us by using the registration link on our website like everyone else.
About online registration for events: if you are targeting anyone under 40, this is a must for any community event that requires registration. By the way, Freewebs offers a way to receive online payments/donations from people using Pay Pal. We haven't used this yet.
Here are sites I’ve created. Nothing fancy, just the basics. And by the way, if you aren't going to update much, keep it very simple. Don't complicate things for online visitors. Cut to the chase. Businesses and outsiders constantly comment on how professional our site looks. If you don't know how to make it pop with all the bells and whistles, go simple and streamlined. In fact, I think the less busy sites communicate faster anyway.
www.chapelridgelions.org for my lions club I joined last year. This is as simple as it gets, but everyone seem to like it.
www.churchatcarmike.com which points to one page we created on our St Joe site, then gives the link to our home page. Purely to advertise where we are. This only cost us the fee for registering the domain at Misk.
Please let me know about any easier and/or cheaper web hosting ideas.
Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resources. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Books on my nightstand, desk, in my car (ie. mobile office) or wherever else I recently sat down to read...
Consider going to my friends at www.anchorroom.org for your purchases
Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas, Regal
We just attended their Launch Conference in NYC. Very practical how-to...wish I had it when we launched.
Just Walk Across The Room by Bill Hybels, Zondervan
Considers the effectiveness of Engle Scale evangelism effort that sees conversion as a long term process for many, not an event. I like this book because I see God using me to reach people in very similar ways. I just celebrated a spiritual victory when my 5 years of praying and relating led that man to finally start living for Christ! One of many "long-term" efforts since we launched our church.
The Nomadic Church: Growing Your Congregation Without Owning the Building by Bill Easum and Pete Theodore, Abingdon
Wow, where were they when we started organizing? Practical strategies, task and leader descriptions, etc.
Pastorpreneur by Dr. John Jackson, Baxter Press, purchase at www.vqresources.com
Helps me communicate my vision and passion for the local church and church planting to business people. If I wasn't called to be a pastor, I'd probably be working to start a new company or business...
High Impact Church Planting by Dr. John Jackson, www.vqresources.com
Helps me evalutate future church plants and my current vision for our church
Development Barriers to Church Growth: Specific Leadership Challenges at Each Level by Dr. John Jackson, www.vqresources.com
Small booklet that packs a punch! He says in paragraphs what some have had to say in several books combined. Worth the price.
The Creative Leader by Ed Young, Broadman and Holman
I don't understand exactly how he organizes for preaching, but I sure appreciate his challenge to me as a leader to step it up and pull out all the stops.
Perimeters of Light by Elmer Towns and Ed Stetzer, Moody Publishers
Postmodernity explained so that even a novice can start to grasp it.
New Perspectives on Breaking the 200 Barrier by Bill M. Sullivan
go to www.200barrier.org for free pdf download of his previous manuscript and ppt slides
We're in the middle of applying his "10 steps" within our church
Community of Kindness: A Refreshing New Approach to Planting and Growing a Church by Steve Sjogren and Rob Lewin
Pick it up, put it down, pick it up again. Easy read and practical advice for planters.
Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil Cole, Jossey-Bass
Just started this, so can't say what I think about it yet
The Pressure's Off by Larry Crabb, Waterbrook Press
Only part way into it. Good reminder that the general principles of Proverbs is sometimes overruled by a Job experience. It's all about knowing and relating to God intimately, not about knowing what God can do for us. Thanks goes out to the worship attender who gave this to me.
Consider going to my friends at www.anchorroom.org for your purchases
Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas, Regal
We just attended their Launch Conference in NYC. Very practical how-to...wish I had it when we launched.
Just Walk Across The Room by Bill Hybels, Zondervan
Considers the effectiveness of Engle Scale evangelism effort that sees conversion as a long term process for many, not an event. I like this book because I see God using me to reach people in very similar ways. I just celebrated a spiritual victory when my 5 years of praying and relating led that man to finally start living for Christ! One of many "long-term" efforts since we launched our church.
The Nomadic Church: Growing Your Congregation Without Owning the Building by Bill Easum and Pete Theodore, Abingdon
Wow, where were they when we started organizing? Practical strategies, task and leader descriptions, etc.
Pastorpreneur by Dr. John Jackson, Baxter Press, purchase at www.vqresources.com
Helps me communicate my vision and passion for the local church and church planting to business people. If I wasn't called to be a pastor, I'd probably be working to start a new company or business...
High Impact Church Planting by Dr. John Jackson, www.vqresources.com
Helps me evalutate future church plants and my current vision for our church
Development Barriers to Church Growth: Specific Leadership Challenges at Each Level by Dr. John Jackson, www.vqresources.com
Small booklet that packs a punch! He says in paragraphs what some have had to say in several books combined. Worth the price.
The Creative Leader by Ed Young, Broadman and Holman
I don't understand exactly how he organizes for preaching, but I sure appreciate his challenge to me as a leader to step it up and pull out all the stops.
Perimeters of Light by Elmer Towns and Ed Stetzer, Moody Publishers
Postmodernity explained so that even a novice can start to grasp it.
New Perspectives on Breaking the 200 Barrier by Bill M. Sullivan
go to www.200barrier.org for free pdf download of his previous manuscript and ppt slides
We're in the middle of applying his "10 steps" within our church
Community of Kindness: A Refreshing New Approach to Planting and Growing a Church by Steve Sjogren and Rob Lewin
Pick it up, put it down, pick it up again. Easy read and practical advice for planters.
Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil Cole, Jossey-Bass
Just started this, so can't say what I think about it yet
The Pressure's Off by Larry Crabb, Waterbrook Press
Only part way into it. Good reminder that the general principles of Proverbs is sometimes overruled by a Job experience. It's all about knowing and relating to God intimately, not about knowing what God can do for us. Thanks goes out to the worship attender who gave this to me.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Church Planting Resources
Here are some key sites for resources, training, and more. Please remember that I may/may not agree with all the views and ideas these sites present. However, I've learned that there are many good resources, websites, books and seminars, so long as you are willing to keep what fits your ministry and discard what you can't use. As a former professor once said to our seminary class, "You don't swallow a hog whole; you always spit the bones out."
Ok, here they are...churches, networks, training ministries, and more for the church planter...
Our church site: www.stjoecommunitychurch.org Go to our resources page and look for the church planter's link. I try to keep an updated list of active church planting sites.
Church Leader Insights with Nelson Searcy Purpose Driven church planted post 9/11 in NYC, free podcast training and more.
Here are a few I browse from time to time...
Church Planting - Real Hope for the World
Growing Healthy Churches
Leading Edge Ministries - Church Planting and New Church Support lots of links to church planting resources.
National Community Church » Washington, DC
Off The Map Home Page
Steve Addison’s blog » World Changers
Steve Sjogren the early champion of servant evangelism
T O P F I V E . O R G another Steve Sjogren site
The Malphurs Group Envision Tomorrow Today church planting author referred to frequently by the North American Mission Board
Vision Quest We actually got to meet Dr. John Jackson this fall. Great encourager. Look for the link to his blog. I found him when looking for Breaking Growth Barriers on Google.
Welcome to KNCSB Downloads & other resources Great resources for mentoring, leadership training and more, developed to multiply house churches.
www.churchplantingvillage tons of resources, maintained by North American Mission Board
http://www.newchurches.com/
Here are some key sites for resources, training, and more. Please remember that I may/may not agree with all the views and ideas these sites present. However, I've learned that there are many good resources, websites, books and seminars, so long as you are willing to keep what fits your ministry and discard what you can't use. As a former professor once said to our seminary class, "You don't swallow a hog whole; you always spit the bones out."
Ok, here they are...churches, networks, training ministries, and more for the church planter...
Our church site: www.stjoecommunitychurch.org Go to our resources page and look for the church planter's link. I try to keep an updated list of active church planting sites.
Church Leader Insights with Nelson Searcy Purpose Driven church planted post 9/11 in NYC, free podcast training and more.
Here are a few I browse from time to time...
Church Planting - Real Hope for the World
Growing Healthy Churches
Leading Edge Ministries - Church Planting and New Church Support lots of links to church planting resources.
National Community Church » Washington, DC
Off The Map Home Page
Steve Addison’s blog » World Changers
Steve Sjogren the early champion of servant evangelism
T O P F I V E . O R G another Steve Sjogren site
The Malphurs Group Envision Tomorrow Today church planting author referred to frequently by the North American Mission Board
Vision Quest We actually got to meet Dr. John Jackson this fall. Great encourager. Look for the link to his blog. I found him when looking for Breaking Growth Barriers on Google.
Welcome to KNCSB Downloads & other resources Great resources for mentoring, leadership training and more, developed to multiply house churches.
www.churchplantingvillage tons of resources, maintained by North American Mission Board
http://www.newchurches.com/
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