This week I'm going to feature some different bible study tools / packages. Before I do, what software packages are you use?

Just gave the old C2.0-the blog a face lift. Come check it out...


More importantly - What questions do you have about Technology and the Church?

We want to address relevant topics so let us know.

I've seen some companies try to push this, but Granger Community Church is the first place I've seen adopt them.

Check out Tim Steven's and Mark Beeson's blog posts on why they added them.

I never have cash on me. If it wasn't for online giving with automatic withdraw, I'm not sure I would give on a regular basis. I know that's bad coming from a Pastor, but it's true.

Do you think online giving and giving kiosks detract from the worship aspect of giving/offering/tithing?

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

Has your church?

There are a lot of church and ministry conferences out there. And everyday it seems I hear about a new one popping up. What I want to know is what is your favorite conference? If you only could go to one, what is the one to go to?

I had an interesting inquiry via a phone call yesterday regarding policies for church websites. I've never had occasion to develop such a policy, although, I've had many thoughts on what one should include.

So I'm asking Church 2.0 readers: What policies do you have in place for your church website? If you don't have a policy, what would you include?

Consider the following to get us started:

• Content: What does and does not belong on the site?
• Privacy: How do you handle the publishing of names, phone numbers, birthdays, and other information that would pretty benign in your print bulletin, but may have different implications on the web?
• Children: What is your policy on publishing the names and/or faces of children and youth on your site? How about adults?
• Families: How do you keep families who may require stringent privacy due to touchy issues like custody battles and other such matters off your site, yet ensure confidentiality within the church?
• Access: Who should have access to publish on/manage your site? How is that determined?

Your turn. I'm looking forward to your comments.

I know this isn't directly 'ministry' related. However, for those Youth Ministers who spend half of their paycheck on the newest ring-tones, this could be a life-saver.



Mashable has made a list of 10 tools to create your own ring-tones.

For those of you who make your own ring-tones...
What programs do you use and do you distribute them to others?

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.

I was tricked quite a few times yesterday online.

What was the best April Fools Joke
that you came across on the web?

Please leave your suggestion in the comments along with links.

If you have a gmail account and you use firefox, there is a handy add-on called "Gspace". It lets you turn all the free email storage that most people will never use anyways, and turn it into free online file storage.

An average gmail account has over 6 GB of storage, I'm only using 64 MB right now. So why not use it. The advantage is you can upload files and then download them from any computer with internet access. Even if all you use it for is backing up important documents, it might be worth giving it a try. You also get an email every time you upload something. So it's easy to archive your files into a folder, search through them, find what you need and download it.

Now that my podcast review over...

• Churchy Media: FOUR 1/2 out of FIVE Stars
• Jesus Geek: THREE 1/2 out of FIVE Stars
• Geeks & God: FOUR out of FIVE Stars
• Creative Synergy: FOUR out of FIVE Stars

And we are gauging interest on a C2.0 Podcast.

What Podcast are you listening/watching?
[Technology, Leadership, Ministry, Sermons, etc.]

So here's the big news...

We are thinking about starting a podcast. If we do start it the premise would be...

TEN minute interviews
with ONE Pastor
sharing ONE Tech-Tool.

Interested? Vote!

None one likes re-runs:
Don't just podcast sermons,
create fresh new content

Reasons Why?

• Fresh- unless your nationally known speaker or someone missed the worship service they aren't going to subscribe to your podcast to hear you talk for an hour. By creating new content you will give them incentive to subscribe.
• Discipleship - make a short podcasts to further the sermon or call them to action. Or use podcast to distribute small group/house church videos for discussion.
  
• Ministries - make short podcasts highlighting ministries and/or testimonies.
• Events - promo events, concerts, do interviews, etc.
• Free Music - have a musicians [in your church] give their songs away.

Tip: Get some young creative types to help you brainstorm ideas.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]
---------------------------------------------------------
In what ways are you and your ministry reThinking how to use podcasts?

Due to the closing of Yahoo Podcasts, I have stumbled on a few articles and blog posts that suggest that podcasts may decease in the near future.

What do you think?

The next few weeks we want to collect some data concerning Podcasting via a web poll. Here is the first of many.

To know where you are coming from it helps us to know some demographic information about the Church you serve.

I interviewed Ben, Youth Pastor of CedarCreek Church in Toledo, OH via Instant Message a few months back.

me: Ben, I have a quick question for you...
As a Pastor what are the biggest issues face you with technology, organization, and/or management issues?
Ben: The biggest issue I face is the pastors I work with, they are not up to speed on what technology has to offer. So, they create systems that revolve around a need for paper, very old school.

To be honest, this took me by surprise because CedarCreek is a very progressive mega-church. It made me think about all the churches who already consider themselves behind the technological curve.

If you are in church leadership I suggest two things...

1. Meet with Tech Geeks! - take sometime out to get with some technology minded staff or church members to see what technology has to offer? Empower those Geeks to run with it. [Never know, eventually you maybe offering them a position. Hiring from within is the best way to go.]
   
2. Stretch yourself - go outside your technology comfort zone. If you are not willing to stretch yourself, your church certainly won't.

Remember - the emerging generations that we are trying to reach are Technology Natives. Unlike most adults who are Technology Immigrants. So migrate!

Over the summer we got to know your technology (Browser, RSS Reader, OS)

Now we want to get to know you and your ministry...

If you answered...

• Yes, continue on to the next question
• No, you should consider it
  
• What is a RSS Reader? - click here