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.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Restructuring Proposal for Indiana
Below is a proposal being considered by all our Indiana associations. This proposal is the result of 3 years of discussions with pastors and other leaders across our state.
State Restructuring Proposal
Recommendations from the Associational Representatives
“Having been led by the Holy Spirit to consider a new model for the associations and state convention, partnering with churches and pastors to reach Indiana with the gospel by strengthening churches, promoting evangelism and church planting, we recommend the following plan for an official response from each association in a duly called business meeting”
1. That the associational lines remain for purposes of autonomy, fellowship, doctrinal integrity, and ministry;
and that the State Convention locate and provide strategic, catalytic leadership in five regions of the State for the purpose of helping pastors and churches in evangelism, church strengthening, church planting and strategic planning.
2. That a transitional team will be made up of associational moderators (or their appointees) and State Convention of Baptists in Indiana (SCBI) executive board member representatives for determining the initial number and placement/possible relocation of strategists in each region, who would be considered SCBI staff.
3. In order to provide accountability to the associations as well as the state convention, it is further recommended that an advisory team be established, consisting of two representatives from each association, one elected by the association and the other an SCBI executive board member from that association, appointed by the board chairman.
The advisory team would be responsible for providing on-going feedback, evaluations and suggestions to the executive director of SCBI and the SCBI Executive Board Administrative Committee concerning present and future regional staff.
4. That Baptist Campus Evangelists and the Community Evangelism Ministers who receive funding from SCBI & NAMB be responsible to an immediate supervisor in the region, association or local church as specified in a new cooperative agreement.
5. That a new, annual cooperative agreement be established with each association and SCBI/NAMB for the jointly-funded regional strategists.
6. That SCBI pay for any relocation costs that may be incurred in potential moves for current missionaries.
7. That if SCBI decides to utilize one of the existing associational buildings for a regional office, a cooperative agreement to cover the costs will be negotiated with the association.
8. That if an association does not want to participate in the new model, then a new cooperative agreement, which is renewed annually anyway, will be negotiated, but funding would not be reduced unless the association requested a decrease.
Possible Regions To be determined by the Transitional Team
(outlined regions will be at the Restructuring Information Meeting)
Proposed Job Description
Regional Strategy Coordinator (subject to name change to fit with NAMB requirements)
REPORTS TO:
SCBI Team Leader & Regional Advisory Team, and ultimately reports to the Executive Board, and the Executive Director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana.
PURPOSE:
The Regional Strategy Coordinator exists to help the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the State Convention Mission Statement & the strategists assigned Team Purpose Statement.
Proposed Job Description
GENERAL SKILLS:
-Strong love for and Relationship with the Lord; be evangelistic in their personal life, strong prayer life, a self-starter and be a team player.
-Organizational skills; able to manage people and resources; personable; good communication skills both verbal and written;
-Administrative skills; good time manager; strategic thinker; good networker; good listener.
-A person of integrity and honesty.
-Demonstrate a calling and commitment to the local church.
-Up-to-date with current trends, and resources.
-Be a specialist in their field.
Below is a proposal being considered by all our Indiana associations. This proposal is the result of 3 years of discussions with pastors and other leaders across our state.
State Restructuring Proposal
Recommendations from the Associational Representatives
“Having been led by the Holy Spirit to consider a new model for the associations and state convention, partnering with churches and pastors to reach Indiana with the gospel by strengthening churches, promoting evangelism and church planting, we recommend the following plan for an official response from each association in a duly called business meeting”
1. That the associational lines remain for purposes of autonomy, fellowship, doctrinal integrity, and ministry;
and that the State Convention locate and provide strategic, catalytic leadership in five regions of the State for the purpose of helping pastors and churches in evangelism, church strengthening, church planting and strategic planning.
2. That a transitional team will be made up of associational moderators (or their appointees) and State Convention of Baptists in Indiana (SCBI) executive board member representatives for determining the initial number and placement/possible relocation of strategists in each region, who would be considered SCBI staff.
3. In order to provide accountability to the associations as well as the state convention, it is further recommended that an advisory team be established, consisting of two representatives from each association, one elected by the association and the other an SCBI executive board member from that association, appointed by the board chairman.
The advisory team would be responsible for providing on-going feedback, evaluations and suggestions to the executive director of SCBI and the SCBI Executive Board Administrative Committee concerning present and future regional staff.
4. That Baptist Campus Evangelists and the Community Evangelism Ministers who receive funding from SCBI & NAMB be responsible to an immediate supervisor in the region, association or local church as specified in a new cooperative agreement.
5. That a new, annual cooperative agreement be established with each association and SCBI/NAMB for the jointly-funded regional strategists.
6. That SCBI pay for any relocation costs that may be incurred in potential moves for current missionaries.
7. That if SCBI decides to utilize one of the existing associational buildings for a regional office, a cooperative agreement to cover the costs will be negotiated with the association.
8. That if an association does not want to participate in the new model, then a new cooperative agreement, which is renewed annually anyway, will be negotiated, but funding would not be reduced unless the association requested a decrease.
Possible Regions To be determined by the Transitional Team
(outlined regions will be at the Restructuring Information Meeting)
Proposed Job Description
Regional Strategy Coordinator (subject to name change to fit with NAMB requirements)
REPORTS TO:
SCBI Team Leader & Regional Advisory Team, and ultimately reports to the Executive Board, and the Executive Director of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana.
PURPOSE:
The Regional Strategy Coordinator exists to help the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana in accomplishing the goals and objectives of the State Convention Mission Statement & the strategists assigned Team Purpose Statement.
Proposed Job Description
GENERAL SKILLS:
-Strong love for and Relationship with the Lord; be evangelistic in their personal life, strong prayer life, a self-starter and be a team player.
-Organizational skills; able to manage people and resources; personable; good communication skills both verbal and written;
-Administrative skills; good time manager; strategic thinker; good networker; good listener.
-A person of integrity and honesty.
-Demonstrate a calling and commitment to the local church.
-Up-to-date with current trends, and resources.
-Be a specialist in their field.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Do you have that place that symbolizes "getting away?" That one place you really feel like you are free from the phone, email, blogs?
Mine is North Myrtle Beach. Been going there since high school. No matter how long the 15 hour trip feels, entering NMB city limits changes me. As if a drain opens and all the pressure of pastoring runs away. If I can get even one good day of sand, waves, and sun, it takes me to a new level of relaxation. So different from Indiana.
Prayer with God during my getaway time is different, more freeflow, less routine. Books read on a reclining chair while hearing crashing waves are just better. Even when the sand gets between the pages.
Vacation. Needful. Restful. Helpful. I heard a funny one about a kid asking why pastors take off some Sundays for vacation. His mother said if he is a good preacher, he deserves time off, and if he isn't, the church does...
Please take time off. Spend it with family. Really get away. Try to do it at least annually. Maybe the same place or in the same way, to get that same mental release. Stay away long enough to really be away.
Throw in a last minute sightseeing trip like we did. Visit friends who live near your vacation spot (We did that! Thanks Drew and Rebekah for such a great time!).
Time to fire up the engines now. On with pressing matters. But I'm ready. Been "away."
Mine is North Myrtle Beach. Been going there since high school. No matter how long the 15 hour trip feels, entering NMB city limits changes me. As if a drain opens and all the pressure of pastoring runs away. If I can get even one good day of sand, waves, and sun, it takes me to a new level of relaxation. So different from Indiana.
Prayer with God during my getaway time is different, more freeflow, less routine. Books read on a reclining chair while hearing crashing waves are just better. Even when the sand gets between the pages.
Vacation. Needful. Restful. Helpful. I heard a funny one about a kid asking why pastors take off some Sundays for vacation. His mother said if he is a good preacher, he deserves time off, and if he isn't, the church does...
Please take time off. Spend it with family. Really get away. Try to do it at least annually. Maybe the same place or in the same way, to get that same mental release. Stay away long enough to really be away.
Throw in a last minute sightseeing trip like we did. Visit friends who live near your vacation spot (We did that! Thanks Drew and Rebekah for such a great time!).
Time to fire up the engines now. On with pressing matters. But I'm ready. Been "away."
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