You may already know from my last post, but I am passing the baton of Church 2.0 - the blog, so I can plant a church in Cleveland, OH.  I know, I know "What good can come from Cleveland?"  But I tell you God loves to show up in those places, and I have already seen him at work there.

As I step off to start a church, would you give generously to support our effort?  We want a killer web presence and we can do it well for significantly less than the tech industry at large can.  For $5000 we will have...

• Professional Logo and Graphics
• Professional Layout and Website
• Media Hosting (Vimeo, Podcast, etc)
• Online, Facebook, and Google Ads
• Customized Micro-sites and Missional Social Networks
• ChMS system for event check in, online tracking, and online giving
• TheCommon.org to meet needs within and outside the community
• Personalized Social Networking Tools (CSS Code)
• PhotoShop and Video Editing Software
• Mobile Applications (iPhone, iPad, Android Apps) 
• Business cards, postcards, and letterhead

Through our online presence we will mobilize and invite people to enter into the Kingdom of God.  If 200 generous people would give just $25 this project would be fully funded.   Consider supporting us by planting a cyber-seed of $25!

Isaiah 32:8 says.. “Generous people plan to do what is generous, and they stand firm in their generosity.”

Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Kevin Rush [www.planterinthemaking.com]

I recently was invited to be a beta tester for BibleMesh.

BibleMesh is a tool developed by Redeemer City to City, an associated with Timothy Keller's Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.

BibleMesh is an online interface to teach and discuss the bible, the God of the bible, and God's story revealed through the scripture.  It starts each section out with a 10+ minute video explaining the over arching theme of at portion of scripture.  The sections are...

1. Creation
2. The Patriarchs 
3. Moses
4. Israel
5. After the Exile
6. Jesus
7. The Church

Then you can dig deeper by exploring specific information about key events, characters, background, or theology. Once you have watched the video and explored the content, you can take a bible survey which is a little online quiz to help you retain (or learn) what you have just studied.

If that wasn't enough they also have groups where it appears you could make your own study using the content. They have discussion forums for those who have questions about the bible.

Over all this is a nice and helpful tool that allows you to dig deeper into scripture.  I have yet to see a price tag, but I hope they make it free, or at least a very minimal cost.

I just got an email from the YouVersion team
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This October, YouVersion Live will give you a brand new way to interact with live events like church services, conferences, and more. Want to know how you’ll be able to use it?

Join us for a live webinar: Wednesday, September 23 at 2:00-3:00 PM CDT at http://www.youversion.com/live

LifeChurch.tv Pastor, Innovation Leader Bobby Gruenewald and Digerati Pastor Terry Storch will guide you through YouVersion Live and show you how this free new tool can work in your environment.

• What will it look like to use this in a church service or other live experience?
• As a communicator, how can I use it to help people get more out of my message?
• How will people find a live experience?
• What will it take to set up an experience ahead of time?
• How likely is it that people around me will be able to use it?

Get answers to these questions and have a chance to ask your own during this free webinar. To join us, just go to http://www.youversion.com/live on Wednesday, September 23 at 2:00 CDT. Hope to see you there!

The YouVersion team
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So mark it on your calendars!

YouVersion Live looks amazing. Check out this ChurchCrunch Exclusive of YouVersion Live with Tony Steward.

YouVersion Live Exclusive from John on Vimeo.

The culture and industries are making the shift to social media.

Has your church?

Looking for ways to serve your church community and even your city? Check out TheCommon.org

TheCommon.org - In Book Form

How awesome is that!

Food Tidings is a perfect website for your church's food ministry.  Set up a schedule for a new mother and let people sign up for the day they will cook for them.  They can put what they are cooking that way people will not get the same meal twice.

Check it out!

Rick Warren is doing a live webcast! NOW!

I wanted to know what you, your church, or your ministry are wrestling with in the New Year?

I hope to get some good dialogue going, so I can write on topics that are passionate to you and your context.

What do we need to rethink?

Need to get a bunch of people together in a video chat?


Check out TokBox. No Software to download, just have your webcam and microphone hooked up to your PC or Mac and wallah! Your in! And, it's FREE!

Merry Christmas!

Trying to send files that are too large to attach to an email?

Check out DropSend





And drop.io

Both great options to send large files over the internet.

Need help on your creative planning for ministry? Or do you have great ministry idea that needs to be shared with the nation?

Check out: www.goideanation.org



I'm so pumped that someone finally made a web2.0 do to this! Kudos iDEANATION

Have a great thanksgiving!

Check out the creative synergy that is happening over on Carlos Whittaker's blog.

More and more sites built on Web2.0 technology are popping up that focus on prayer. We have already highlighted MySecret, Kindle, Dear-God, and Other6.

Now check out WeTheChurch.org.

It's a website to post prayer and praise reports.

Simple and to the point. It's very cool! Take a minute and see what people are praising and praying about. Maybe add your prayers and praise to the mix.

We often feel God's presence at Church, but where do you find him the other 6 days of the week?

Other6 is a website where you can view and/or add where you find God in the other 6.

This could be a great place to start brainstorming what an externally focused church or ministry might look like in your community.

Aaron over at Digital Leadership Network wrote a great post on the different kinds of blogs and then gives some suggestions on why and how your church should blog. I'm summarize his comments below.

What Kinds Blogs Are on the Web?

1) Expert/Personality - an expert or big name giving you advice
2) Personal - someone sharing what they did that day [pictures, journaling, etc.]
3) News/Information - group of people who share information [ex- Church2.0]
4) Humor - just for fun

Suggestions for the Blogging Church:

The biggest keys to blogging is consistent updates. My suggestion would be to take the team blog approach, with different people taking on different roles. You can easily offer up separate RSS feeds or pages to break down the blogging into the three areas above:

The Expert Blog: The pastor, of course. If the community is interested in engaging in thinking about the message series throughout the week, the pastor could/should post ideas and thoughts that continue (or set up) Sunday's message.

The Personal Blog: Other leaders in your church? Perhaps small group leaders can use a public church blog to toss information and thoughts around to their attendees. A small group can open up to any curious visitor to your church's website using blogs.

The Information Blog: If a church's blog was consistently updated with upcoming events, prayer needs, updates on church member issues (ex- announcements) it would be a great chance for church members to feel loved and want to interact with the site.

Kindle is an online tool built on Web2.0 technology to post prayer request, while praying with and for others. Check it out here.

LifeChurch.tv just announced an opportunity that I think every church should look into.

[Click here to check it out]

On church websites I often find somewhere that explains the history of the church. But it's SO BORING!

Imagine going to a church website and instead of being bored by the History of the Church you are genuinely interested and engaged.

Imagine you're a long time church member and on this portion of the website you can add important events, dates and information in the life of the church.

Imagine that during this collaborative effort all the church staff has to do is approve and edit stories that are being submitted. Then embed a few lines of codes to your churches website and an interactive time line will show up. [Shown below - the history of Church2.0 - the blog]

Imagine that after a year you think, "I wish I could make a Book or a DVD that I could give out to my congregation or those who don't have internet." And you find out you can!

OurStory.com makes it all possible. OurStory is actually made for families to collaboratively record there story and genealogy. But isn't that what a church is essentially.

Start your own timeline at OurStory.com

http://ourstory.com/church20

Yes, Ark ALMIGHTY is site to promote the movie Evan Almighty, but don't dismiss it so quickly it does have ministry value.

Encourages the Church to meet needs...

1. Inside the Church - they provide a website to post needs and meet them. [ex- helping widows, balancing someones checkbook, changing someones oil, lawns-care, transportation, finding an exercise partner, etc.]
   
2. Outside the Church - they provide ways to provide "Random Acts of Kindness" [ex- stop and help someone change a tire,
   

They also provide materials, such as a 4-day curriculum with videos.

If you still are a little foggy on what Ark ALMIGHTY is all about watch this video.