We updated our staff section on the Forefront Website with photos a little bios for everybody. When you have nothing to do at all (seriously, nothing on the face of this earth), then take a look and enjoy some random facts.
Jason *over and out*
We’ve had a great response from the website. So many of you have said how the new Forefront site has ben cool to send your friends to. but what if you have a phone with web access? Our site is in flash and most phones cannot read it. Introducing, ForefrontMobile.org
Now you can access a stripped down version of the site on your mobile phone. If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can add a little icon to your homepage when you bookmark it.
Enjoy.
So, we’ve been working with Clover to get our new website up and I love it. Let me know what you think… I would totally recommend them. Our podcast is going to have to be reformatted and will be back up in a couple days, but until then- enjoy the new site.
Been trying to figure out how to continually use media to promote the church. We’ve done a good job through YouTube and Vimeo. It’s been decent with Facebook & Myspace, but I wanted it to be something consistent.
So, in the process of thinking through this I came across Centerpoint Church and they had a little wallpaper section for computer desktops and iPhones. I can’t verbalize how many times I check out people’s computers, phone, etc. to see what their background is. It’s intriguing to me. And it usually starts conversation. So I took some of our Pre-Service slides and made some backgrounds from them (some of the originals were made by our volunteers). Below is a screenshot and the link to the page is here.
So, I was speaking at CCYC a few weekends ago and my wife was amazingly wonderful and allowed me to get an iPhone 3G and the world is a better place (seriously it is). I have been amazed at how I can get the information for ministry faster, connect to people, share life, and ultimately do more with this little device.
Over the next few posts we’ll be discussing how Your Ministry with Tech can benefit from using social networking, blogs, interactive web, mobile communication, email, etc. to meet the needs of your people and to make your job easier.
First, we’ll start with something that is overlooked for most people, but it makes total sense… iGoogle. If you are wondering what this is check out an overview video below:
iGoogle helps you dump outlook, calendars, mutliple pages to view, and so on and to bring everything to a web based interface and basically it’s your “landing pad” for all things you need (i.e. RSS Reader, Google Calendar, Gmail, To-do Lists, News Feeds, Facebook, Twitter, Etc.)
You can have one place to get everything you need without haveing to visit 10-15 different websites or have your outlook open, calendar open, web browser open and the list goes on.
To start off, just go to Gmail.com and sign up for an email account. Once that is set-up:
Some other great add-ons/ widgets for your iGoogle page are:
Once this is up and running it will set the stage for everything we’ll do from here. But having this one landing pad for all things communication is such a huge help to you as a pastor/ leader to keep communication flowing at all times. If you don’t have some of those things like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Don’t rush out and create an account yet. We’ll talk about social networking and you can decide for yourself if it’s something for you and which one you want to dive in to.
Until next time,
J-del * over and out*
We are looking at our website and how the design just doesn’t flow the way we dreamed it. It’s time to reThink EVERYTHING. While thinking about this, I found a great article. Dropped a couple of the 21 ideas below. To read the full article, click here.
1. Load Time – Most of us are very impatient and slow loading pages will not make us want to return. On the other hand, pages that load quickly will encourage visitors to navigate through your site knowing that they won’t have to wait very long for each page to load.
2. Error Messages – If new visitors to your site are getting error messages and are unable to access your site, they’re not going to be impressed and they won’t be back. There are a number of different errors that can occur. BlogStorm recently published an article Why Businesses Need a Website that Works, which takes a look at one unsuccessful website with an obvious problem.
3. Colors – The look of your site will obviously be a factor in your visitors’ first impressions. The colors of your website can have a huge impact on the overall attractiveness of the site. Choosing the right color combinations can be difficult, but fortunately there are a number of online tools that can help. For a list of resources and links to some articles on the psychology of colors, see Find the Perfect Colors for Your Website.
4. Logo/Branding – Another factor in the overall look of your website is the logo and branding. Most importantly, the logo should help to brand your business in the way that you want visitors and customers to think of you. For more information, see What Makes a Great Logo? from David Airey.
So Dave over at ChurchyMedia and I have been tossing around this idea of getting other creative minds together in the area (music, worship, arts, video/production, graphic design, sketch/drama, comedy, painting). Our goal is to see where the church is heading and how we can set trends in culture instead of copying them. Once we pondered this, it was clear.
SevenFiveSevenArts.com
Sept 16th, 2008
Moe’s in Fairfield Area of Va Beach
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We can’t wait.
I love this idea. The debate between tech/online relationships continues, but I am sold. The creators of Kindle are alright in my book. What do you think?
Found a new blog today that gives some great explanations of easy ways that churches can switch over to a Mac based system. Macs At Church is a fairly new blog that gives you all the easy-to-use tips and ideas on switching to Apple Computers. If you’re starting a church or have the Apple itch (which is way different than that “other” itch you’ve been having), you should totally check it out.
