Carpe' Digital

Equip Your Congregation with Invitation Tools

timlaffoon — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:34:05 +0000

The vast majority of people (on average, more than 80 percent) will visit a church for the first time as the result of a personal invite. Ironically, most churches ignore that staggering statistic from a marketing standpoint. How do you effectively encourage those within your church to invite the people they know? The best method is to provide a tool for your members that facilitates and encourages them to invite someone to your church … (more)
by Lawrence Swicegood of Church Solutions

Communicate Clearly!

timlaffoon — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:14:20 +0000

A mistake that many churches make when it comes to communications is that they don’t always put a priority on it and they don’t take it seriously. The message of Christ is the most important thing we have so we need to devote the resources to making that message clear, sharp and effectively presented.

Church communication, because it is a core aspect of the church’s mission should never be neglected. Many churches have great facilities, fine preachers, wonderful music and but you would never know it. Truth is, when it comes to church communications, many of us are stuck in the same place using the same methods - reluctant to admit they are not working.

I would highly recommend that you sit down and honestly evaluate the communication methods used in your church? What methods are you using and which ones are really making an impact?

* Church Bulletin or Brochure
* Church Newsletter
* Church E-Newsletter
* Church Website
* Online Sermons
* Church Blog
* Banners
* Posters and Flyers

No matter what size congregation or budget you have, you need to ensure that you develop and take your communications ministry seriously. Information is a vital commodity in our world today and using the resources that are available needs to be a priority. We should apply the same level of stewardship and accountability to our vision and how we communicate it, as we do any other area of our ministry.

Reaching the Next Generation

timlaffoon — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:54:28 +0000

Whether you’re a pastor, elder, ministry leader, small group leader, or volunteer, here is some great advice and ideas when it comes to reaching the next generation. Full Article

If Jesus Had A Website?

timlaffoon — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:38 +0000

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?

6 Reasons Pastors Should Blog

timlaffoon — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:49:08 +0000

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.

Print Materials

timlaffoon — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:51:57 +0000

Designing a brochure, or some handouts, and a weekend program is part of every churches weekly responsibilities. Sometimes these types of things are the first thing a visitor may see when they want information about your church. It is very important that you make sure these look good even if you have a small budget. Here are three simple things to remember when producing these items.

1. Proofread before printing.
It is very important that you have several people it and look at the spelling and punctuation. You also want to make sure that everything makes sense to others who look at it.
2. Don’t use too much text.
Too much text can do more harm than good if not presented well so be careful.
3. Choose good images.
Make sure that you use good quality images for your designs. A brochure or flyer can be unsuccessful because of bad quality pictures and the placement of those images.

These are simple, but will go along way in making sure that your printed materials end up being as effective as you want them to be.

Do You Want A Good Looking Website?

timlaffoon — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:44:55 +0000

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!

Should Your Church Care About Podcasting?

timlaffoon — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:52:16 +0000

Churches who have begun to put an emphasis on delivering media via their website are starting to reach folks that they might never have connected with using a more traditional style of ministry. Podcasting opens a door for those who are too shy or too nervous to come to your church and check out what you’re all about. It is a great way to expand and enhance a sense of community by bringing “church” into people’s everyday lives. It enables people to take your messages with them on the road, which can encourage them throughout the week, not just on Sundays. It gives people a place to check out topics of faith on a deeper and more personal level vs. the threatening, “You should come to church with me.” It is a great topic-starter at work and an excellent place to send seekers after having a conversation about particular topics.

Today, the Internet offers us the ability to check out stuff without making any commitments. This is a great thing for churches because people can visit your church website, read about your ministries, and generally check out your church while staying anonymous. Podcasting takes the delivery of your information to the next step by making it more personal and letting people virtually peek in on one of your services, listen to a message, and check out what God is doing within your ministry. It is a wonderful tool for spreading the gospel and sharing the message of hope through Jesus Christ to both your church community and to people you might never meet.

Cast and Communicate Church Vision

timlaffoon — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:18:09 +0000

Do you struggle sometimes with creating buy-in for your church’s next big thing as a leader. I think you will enjoy this terrific article on communicating vision. Full Article

Church Website Photography Guidelines

timlaffoon — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:03:15 +0000

Here is a terrific article describing some great photography tips to remember when you are trying to capture images for your website. http://guide.gospelcom.net/offsitelink?b08jun-churchphotos