Carpe’ Digital

Several years ago the phrase WWJD became very popular. I know that I used it quite often in my own life and my wife and I used it with our children to help them understand the importance of doing everyday things in their life the way Jesus would.

I came across the WWJD statement again the other day and it made me stop and think about the following statement. What if Jesus had a website? What type of content would He have on it? What would His purpose be for the site and what would He be trying to accomplish with it?

The amazing thing about Christ is that He always has a plan and He is always there to meet people at their point of need. I believe that if He had had a website during His earthly ministry, those same elements would be a priority. His site would show non-believers that those following Him were ordinary, real people; that He understands life’s challenges and can meet them at their point of need; that they would be loved and unconditionally welcome; and most of all, God is there to restore hope and their future.

The funny thing is that, Jesus really does have website. He doesn’t just have one site, but He has multiple sites and He has allowed you and I to be His webmasters. I believe that Christ wants us to manage our sites as He would. I encourage you to be prayerful and ask God for wisdom when it comes to the use of this incredible tool called the Web and that we would be effective in fulfilling the purpose that God has for it. Remember, God has a plan for everything, including your website. Maybe we should change it from WWJD to WWJP. What Would Jesus Post?

Here is a terrific article on the importance of why a Pastor should blog. Full Article

If you need to get started with a blog here is a link to some great info from Wordpress on how to use their tools. Get Started at Wordpress.

Of course you do! Don’t we all? One of the keys of having a great looking website is the pictures and graphics you use! But where do you get great photos or animations for your website?

First of all, here are some things that you don’t want to do:
1. Don’t copy photos or graphics off of someone else’s website without their permission.
2. Don’t copy any text off of another website without permission.
3. Don’t upload photo’s straight out of a digital camera. Most of the time they are quite large and will take a long time for people to download on your website.
4. Be careful of what sites you link to. They will change their information and you might be caught by surprise!

Secondly, here are some ways to get photos and graphics for your website:
1. Set up a time to have people from your church take pictures with you. By taking the photo yourself or finding someone you know to take the picture for you, you can get great photos that you won’t have to pay for! They will also be great advertisement for your ministry because those in the photos will be from your church.
2. There are quite a few stock photography websites out there that are very low cost. There are different ways to buy stock photos or graphics. You can buy one at a time, buy a subscription, or buy a CD. (Please make sure you follow all the rules and regulations according to the agreements from each different site.)

Here are some links to a few of the more popular ones:
• http://istockphoto.com
• http://shutterstock.com
• http://stockexchange.com
• http://bigstockphoto.com

Once you get the image you are looking for, don’t forget to edit it so you can optimize it for your website!

DISCLAIMER: We are not a legal resource in any way. If there are any specific questions or situations you run into about copyrights or model releases, please consult an attorney who is knowledgeable with copyright laws!