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Online Giving - Easy Tithe
A great feature that you could add to your website is the ability to give online. Any user in the world can log on to your site, give, and money can be directly deposited into YOUR account.
Now, how do you do it?
There are 2 easy options I will tell you about: Paypal and Easy Tithe.
First, Paypal. Paypal is pretty much the standard of online transactions and is a partner of Ebay to help with all the money that that site moves. Being such, they are incredibly convenient and easy to set up.
A few things you want to know about Paypal:
- There is no monthly fee - only fees come from transactions (about 2.9%, I believe)
- The money is held by Paypal like an bank account, it doesn’t go directly into your account though it is simple to set that up.
- A giver can give in a variety of methods and doesn’t even need to sign up with Paypal.
Now, Easy Tithe. Easy Tithe is really optimized for churches and it shows. It makes things very simple and has many options that might push you toward that.- Givers can set up scheduled giving (so they never miss)
- Powerful reporting features to graph all the giving
- Donations are always in your control, directly deposited into your accounts.
- Can setup different funds to give to on the website
- Can use it for camp registration, for example, and have options (like a shirt, etc.) that can change the price.
- Costs $50/month to use the program but can be used for an unlimited number of users and has no transaction fees. (only fees are from your merchant account you set up with your bank)
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Jott.com
One of my favorite tools. A free one. Are you ever somewhere, think of something, but don’t have a good place to write it down to remember it?? Do you use email and have a cell phone? Then Jott is for you.
Here is how you use it.
- Call Jott. (after you set up your account)
- It will ask, “Who do you want to Jott?”
- Say, “Me.”
- It will beep like an answering machine, and then you simply speak what you want to remember.
- It then transcribes what you say (quite accurately too), sends you an email of the transcription, and includes the recording of your voice for any confusion.
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Backup and Sync Contacts - Plaxo
Plaxo is actually a full-fledged social networking site now, but one of the greatest features of it is the ability to backup your address book from your Mac or PC for free.
Any address that you have on your volatile computer is safe on Plaxo because it automatically syncs without you even noticing it.
Also, if anyone in your address book is also a member with Plaxo, if they ever update their information, it is automatically updated on Plaxo, and in your local address book.
It will send you Birthday reminders to give you a great excuse to contact people you want to stay up with and will link with other websites, blogs, and calendars to keep everything in one place.
Some nice features, for free. Check it out here.
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Find Music - Rhapsody, iTunes
Today I am working all day on finding special music, scheduling, and planning. That means I am making full use of Ministry Tools. Putting the whole schedule on Airset, looking through my library on iTunes, and listening to music on Rhapsody.
So, I thought I would give a few more tools to help with music for your church. It is always a hassle for me trying to gather cd’s, listen to tapes, and try to figure out sheet music. I am a lot better at hearing a song and saying, “I like that.”
That is why I use iTunes and Rhapsody, a lot. They both work off the same concept - finding a song or artist you like. While that is hugely valuable, what makes it wonderful is the ability to find similar songs or artists. Let me explain.
Lets say you know about a particular song that you like. I dont know why, but I am thinking of “Step Into the Water”. Once you search for “step into the water” it will bring up a big list of people who sing that. If they sing that song, they will likely sing another you like. So, you can start to look into that new group, find songs that they sing and discover songs very quickly. It is an intermingled web — which is good for finding stuff.
iTunes gives you 30sec previews of unlimited number of songs and cost $.99 to buy each one.
Rhapsody is membership based, but gives you 25 free plays. After that it is $12.99/month for unlimited songs. You can only listen to them on their site though.
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How to Make a Good Design — EASY!!
It seems that churches often suffer from horrid-design-syndrome. Which is a horrid shame. I would consider designing to be extremely important in the church. For events, website, logos, classes, promotions, announcements, etc. It does a few extremely important things…
- Creates interest and attention on the event
- Indicates effort and interest put into the event
- Communicates real desire for others to be involved
- Steal ideas - A good verse for design is “there is nothing new under the sun”, so stop trying to be so creative! A quick browse of the internet will give you some really great ideas for what you could make. If you are planning a “Friend Day”, type “friend day” into Google Images and you will be automatically inspired. Here is a good rule of thumb, if it looks good to you, it will to someone else. So, just look around until you find something that really really looks good and mimic that look! (You could also be more general in your searches too, i.e. “event poster” instead of “friend day”)
- Steal fonts - A very elementary design mistake is to get the most creative fonts and use as many of them as possible. Makes for a very cluttered and messy look. We want it to look fresh and clean instead. Start to take special notice of how others use fonts on billboards, signs, advertisements, and follow those principles. Do NOT just look at other churches! Look at designs everywhere!
- Get an excellent picture for the background - An excellent photo will almost automatically make a stunning design. So, invest in this part of the design process especially. An excellent resource for this is istock photo. Even if you dont use a picture from them, it has excellent browsing features that will help you greatly in finding a good photo. This is a great place to just type the name of your event in their search and see what kind of concepts it returns. Then often you can find a photo for free elsewhere. But dont be afraid to spend the dollar or 2 on an excellent picture!! You could spend $10/month with istock and it could result in a DRASTICALLY improved output. Its worth it. It is your public face.
- Make sure everything is clear and sharp - Pictures and Fonts. They can look fine on the computer screen and horrible when printed. Make sure you print with the 300dpi setting. Things for web and screens can be much lower quality.
- Make text readable - Notice text on advertisements, there is always a main title that is very readable.
- Use a real design program - Photoshop is preferable, but Gimp is always a free option. Get away from Publisher, Word, and Paint! Get a program that will allow you to do layers, and text effects like shadows, stroke, and glows.
- Keep trying - Trial and error will get you making decent designs soon. Just notice how others do it and work on being like them.
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21 Factors that Influence the First Impression of Your Website’s Visitors
When a new visitor comes to your website for the first time an initial impression will be formed pretty quickly. A good first impression will drastically increase the chances of that visitor returning again, and a bad first impression will be difficult to overcome.
This list looks at 21 factors that will influence your visitor’s impression within moments of arriving at your site. These are just some of the factors, not a comprehensive list. Feel free to list some others in the comments that you think should be included. Here they are, in no particular order.
1. Load Time – Most of us are very impatient and slow loading pages will not make us want to return. On the other hand, pages that load quickly will encourage visitors to navigate through your site knowing that they won’t have to wait very long for each page to load.
2. Error Messages – If new visitors to your site are getting error messages and are unable to access your site, they’re not going to be impressed and they won’t be back. There are a number of different errors that can occur. BlogStorm recently published an article Why Businesses Need a Website that Works, which takes a look at one unsuccessful website with an obvious problem.
3. Colors – The look of your site will obviously be a factor in your visitors’ first impressions. The colors of your website can have a huge impact on the overall attractiveness of the site. Choosing the right color combinations can be difficult, but fortunately there are a number of online tools that can help. For a list of resources and links to some articles on the psychology of colors, see Find the Perfect Colors for Your Website.
4. Logo/Branding – Another factor in the overall look of your website is the logo and branding. Most importantly, the logo should help to brand your business in the way that you want visitors and customers to think of you. For more information, see What Makes a Great Logo? from David Airey.
5. Header Images – Dominant header images are often used and they can have a strong effect on first impressions. Personally, I’m not a big fan of large header images for blogs, but some blog designers use them with great success. I like to see the content start higher on the page, but many visitors don’t share my opinion (I’d be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments below). Nate Whitehill uses a very attractive header image on his blog to make it stand out.
6. Typography – A somewhat subtle influence is the typography and fonts. A change in the typography may not be a drastic change, but it can make all the difference. See Five Simple Steps to Better Typography by Mark Boulton for a more complete look at the subject.
7. Layout – One of the most important design elements is the layout. Whatever layout you use should draw the reader’s attention to those items that are most important. Layout can be used not only to create an attractive design, but also to make the site easy for visitors to use. While most websites use a fairly standard design, a good way to make your site stand out is to use a more creative layout. Of course, you’ll want to make sure that your creative layout adds to the effectiveness of the website rather than detracting from it.
8. Advertisements – One of the easiest ways to make a bad first impression is to have a website that is full of advertisements. Most of today’s internet users have come to expect advertisements to be present on most websites, but too many ads, the wrong type of ads, and poor ad placement can be a big turn off for visitors.
As a general rule you should avoid placing ads in places that will interfere with visitors being able to read your content, unless the goal of your site is to make money through ad clicks. Animated ads are also a touchy subject as they can also easily distract and annoy readers.
If you use advertisements that are relevant to visitors and are kept out of the flow of your content, visitors generally will not mind.
9. Your Reputation – Some of your first-time visitors will be familiar with you or your website before they even visit. In many cases they may have read about you on another website that links to you. This is especially common for bloggers. If that visitor has read a positive recommendation of you before visiting your site, you will have already developed a little bit of a reputation in the mind of that visitor that may affect the first impression. This can also work the opposite way if they have heard or read negative things before visiting. 10. Ease of Navigation – We’ve probably all been at websites that looked like they had great content that we wanted to read, but just couldn’t find what we wanted. I’m not sure if there is anything more frustrating on a website than poor navigation. On the other hand, well-constructed navigation can help visitors to have a very positive experience on the site. 11. Clarity of Purpose – New visitors should be able to very quickly determine the purpose of a website. Many sites effectively incorporate this into their branding by using a descriptive tag line that sums up the site’s purpose. About Us pages are also helpful for communicating purpose.
12. Unprofessional Items – Some items like low-quality animated GIFs and hit counters can give a negative first impression. Generally anything that makes your site look like it was designed 10 years ago should be avoided.
13. Quality of Images and Photos – It’s amazing how much impact a high-quality photo or graphic can have on a design. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources online for getting high-quality, low-cost photos, and some are even free. Searching for a good free picture may not be worth the time it takes when you can find one faster and pay $1 or $2. For a list of places to find photos online, see Stock Photography Resources.
14. Accessibility – Accessibility is a big buzzword in web design. The reality is that not all of your visitors will fall into the mould of the average visitor. Some will have handicaps, some will use older browsers, some will have slower connections, etc. If your website is not accessible to a visitor it’s almost guaranteed to create a bad impression.
15. Popups and Pop-unders – Most internet surfers now have some sort of popup blocker, but some websites are still using them. Most visitors don’t appreciate popups that aren’t blocked, and this can create a bad impression. Some sites, however, still use popups effectively, so it’s something that you will have to weigh the pros and cons.
16. Video and Audio – As more and more internet users have high speed connections, audio and video will continue to become more common. Some visitors appreciate these elements and it’s evident by the success of such sites as YouTube. A general rule with both audio and video is that it should not start automatically without the user choosing to have it start.
17. Associations – Visitors may be new to your website, but they may be impressed with associations to someone or something they know and respect. An example of this is web hosting provider Media Temple. Visitors to Media Temple’s website will see testimonials on the homepage from Nike, Sony, and Starbucks. If that visitor is wondering about the competence and capability of Media Temple, associations with these large, well-known companies will have a huge impact on the first impression. Another example is a website displaying a badge that shows membership in the Better Business Bureau.
18. Quality of Content – Of course quality content cannot be left off this list. While content may not have an instant impact like some of the factors that relate to the design of the site, it will have a significant impact on visitors that stick around for a minute or so. This is a big factor especially for blogs. A first-time visitor that finds really great content will remember their visit in a positive light.
19. Tone – In addition to the actual content, the tone of the content can also have an impact on first impressions. I’ve been on a few blogs that have strong content, but an unnecessarily negative tone by the blogger created a poor first impression.
20. Number of Comments and Trackbacks – New visitors to blogs will often notice the number of comments on posts. A lot of comments and trackbacks show that other readers are involved, and it indicates that this is likely a valuable resource. On the other hand, seeing no comments often causes the visitor to wonder how many other people are reading.
21. Flash Intros – Positive or negative, flash intros will impact the first impression of visitors. I’m not a fan of flash intros on most websites. I think they have their place on websites in certain industries, such as websites for movies or rock bands. Unless visitors will expect a website in your industry to have a flash intro, I would avoid it.
What would you like to add to the list?
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Skype - Video conferencing with Missionaries
There are much more applications that you could use Skype for, but this seems to be the most popular for churches.
Skype is great because it is free, can be on any platform (Mac or Windows), and can do audio, video, or instant messaging.
Here is an idea to use it to stay in contact with your missionaries and keep them before your people:
- Download Skype, and talk your missionary into doing the same. (Good chance he already has it, it’s great for communication with home.)
- Put Skype on the computer that you use for media in the services.
- Contact the missionary during a service and throw a video of him up on the screen. Have him tell you what is going on on the field. Ask him questions. Have him show you around. Whatever - it is all live! (of course he will need a camera hooked up to his computer. If he is smart he will already have a mac that has it built in:)
If you are a pastor, or anyone really, use this free tool to be a friend to your missionaries, even outside of services! You will have a much better idea of what their life is like over their presentation in your church every 4 years.
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Easy Worship - Multimedia Presentation Software
If you are inclined to using screens in your church Easy Worship makes this very intuitive. The difficulty of making screens helpful rather than distracting is to make everything work during a live service. Easy Worship makes transitions very smooth and puts all features into one simple interface.
Then there is the challenge of accommodating the file formats, Bible verses, different songs, pictures and videos smoothly but Easy Worship makes this very simple.
Here are some features and benefits:
- Display Bible verses from the built-in Bible.
- Supports Power-Point files
- Display DVD clips, MPG1, MPG2, AVI, DV, WMF, WMV video formats
- Editable song library
- Easy to learn
- lots more…
This isnt free by the way. It is $399. But well worth it to not ruin multiplied moments and/or services.
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Gcast - free Podcast enabler
Pretty much every pastor I have ever talked to about a website has mentioned the desire for having their sermons available online. Well, there are a lot of ways to do that, but it can get expensive pretty quick if you are not careful. Hosting space is one of the major costs when talking about a website - if you cut that out, you have solved a big problem.
And, to be honest, if you find a way of hosting bigger files offsite and just showing them on your site, the rest of the website takes a very minimal amount of hosting requirements.
So, Gcast makes this a breeze.
- It is completely free
- Provides unlimited hosting,
- Automatically creates a “podcast feed” that people can subscribe to to get future updates
- Gives you code for a player that you can post on your website, blog, or anywhere else.
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Email Mailing Lists
Simply one single email address (ex. staff@baptistchurch.com) that is received by multiple recipients. It is like everyone is in the room hearing what others are saying. There are basically 2 ways you can set them up:
1. Everyone sees the email, but all replies are directed to the original sender of the email
2. The whole group sees all emails and responses.
An email ring can be utilized for many ministry-specific advantages.
SS Class
Put everyone on the email ring to be able to tell about activities, discuss comments about the lesson, give prayer requests, etc.
Leaders of the Church
Discuss, challenge, and announce things that you dont have time to talk about in the pulpit or teachers meeting. A great way to get volunteers and build a team. Let everyone see what others are saying.
Church Staff
Have a separate ring for the internal church staff. This is how the majority of communication happens at Vision. Email becomes a task manager and everyone is aware of what everyone is doing. Like a perpetual staff meeting.
Any other grouping you want
Men of the church, ladies, singles, ministry friends, couples, SS teachers, music people. Any email address is valid.
WAYS TO START AN EMAIL RING
cPanel - ask your web host if they are capable of accommodating email mailing lists. This is the way I have experience with email rings, but if you dont have a website or hosting company, here are other ways of accomplishing it.
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This is about tricks of the trade. Tips and tools for you to be more organized, efficient, and effective in this technological age. There are millions of webpages and advertisements, but which one is really the best? This is an unbiased log of recommended tools that have proved helpful in the ministry. You wont use all [...]
Asides
Welcome to Ministry Tools
This is about tricks of the trade. Tips and tools for you to be more organized, efficient, and effective in this technological age.
This is an unbiased log of recommended tools that have proved helpful in the ministry. You wont use all of them, of course, but I am sure some will prove invaluable.
I am the singles, music, and media director at Vision Baptist Church in Alpharetta, GA. I am also usually broke and need inexpensive ways to do the ministry. This blog is to inform you of the most effective tools that I have found.
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