Summers are typically seasons where ministries languish. A steady stream of distractions keep congregations away from regular church services. Vacations keep members occupied on weekends. Children are home from school make weekdays hectic. Here are a few things you do to prepare for the summer slump.
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Category: Inspiration
Bible verses, sermons, movies, podcasts, and even cartoons; inspiration can be found anywhere. Here are articles that touch a wide variety of topics. But they all follow a theme in that they were inspired by something.
Taking Holiday Traditions from Analog to Digital
Many churches have traditions that have been passed down through the years. Some are a few years old, and others go back centuries. Yet most are still in our analog world. How can you move them to the digital space?
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Breaking and Pouring Out Digital Ministries
Have your digital ministries stalled? Did you not even start an online ministry? A breakthrough may come after God allows something to break in your life or ministry. This may not sound like fun. Yet when problems arise, we learn to more fully depend on God. In this article I examine what you can expect, and how to react.
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What can Star Wars Still Teach Us
Yet again I am finding inspiration from Star Wars. I noted quite a few things with the release of Episode VII. The trailers, the merchandise, and the movie were all very interesting. So what can digital ministry teams learn from this movie franchise re-launch? Here is a spoiler-free take on what you can learn from the various entities in charge of the Star Wars universe.
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Digital Ministry Lessons from Bruce Lee
Regular updates to your website and social media platforms takes discipline. You need commitment to those ministries to post consistent updates. And there is a certain amount of tenacity required to tackle tough website issues. Another space that requires discipline, commitment, and tenacity is the martial arts. This week I take lessons from one of the greatest martial artists that ever lived; Bruce Lee.
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What Church Tech Teams can Learn from a Cartoon
Does your church know how they will use technology to accomplish your its mission? Does everyone even know what your mission is? Every day, the Animaniacs characters Pinky and The Brain attempt to take over the world. We can learn something from this single-minded approach to missions. In this article I will provide X tools to help us.
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My Heroes of Digital Ministry
Last week I gushed about several people in the web industry that inspired me. Their regular sharing of knowledge gave me the information I needed to forge a career in user experience. Now I will talk about those that inspired me to continue writing about digital ministries. I am not bragging, nor am I putting anyone down. But I did not start my blog because of anyone on this list. In fact I was arrogant enough to think I was doing something new and unique. I started writing before I knew my audience. When I started researching, I discovered many others in this space. This article recognizes those that continue to encourage me.
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My Heroes of the Web
This an homage of the many people that inspired me throughout my digital journey. I started off like many of us, making crude, poorly coded websites. I made many atrocious design mistakes along the way. But thankfully I had people along the way to guide me. In this article I delve into those persons that imparted wisdom. Some wrote books, many produced podcasts. Yet each motivated me to jump into the world of user experience. And each deserves recognition as well as your attention as well. No matter where you are, there is still a lot more to learn!
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Make Technology Personal in your Church
Many people dislike the introduction of technology into their church. They may feel that it removes that comfortable, personal touch. Yet I contest there are ways to make a process digital, but still personable. Show how using technology does not mean only working with a machine. By using trained church members, you can help digital interactions. Show how to extend the church experience throughout the week with social media.
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A Year in Review: 2015
It is the second week of July and time to remember another year of weekly blogging. I produced articles for four years and am still excited about what each one brings to you. The better news is that I still have plenty of energy and ideas. Please take some time to read my reflections and lessons learned.
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Designing Experiences With Fewer Obstacles
Just because something must be functional does not mean it cannot be well designed. Design comes in many forms, and can be applied where and when you least expect it. Often it is just a small tweak to an existing design that can improve the ease of use. Seek out opportunities to better design an experience for your congregation and visitors. Here is an observation of two trash bins at fast food restaurants and how we can apply those lessons to a church website.
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What Skateboarders Can Teach A Web Team
Many readers live near a park. Cities all over the world feature spaces where people can congregate and enjoy life together. Yet to a certain group of people, these spaces mean something completely different. They represent physical challenges of skill, dexterity, and balance. This group of people are skateboarders. Their unique view of landscape provides a few lessons people in church communications can learn.
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