Digital Evangelism Issues

Ceri Longville, a student at Redcliffe Bible College in Gloucester UK, has just published her college dissertation on church websites.

Having been involved in church web development, Ceri saw the clear need for research. Her Reaching the Community with Church Websites is a valuable insight into the potential for making church sites truly ‘outsider friendly’. She says, “While working as web developer of a church website, I could see the potential for it to be used as a tool to make the church more accessible and relevant to the non-Christian/unchurched folk in the local community.”

Download this free 95-page PDF e-book here. Feel free to link directly to this PDF – it is a permanent URL. And use the ‘comments’ link below to add your own thoughts

This week’s infographics from SmokingDesigners.com:

What should a good landing page look like? Remember, most website pages ARE landing pages – that is, a page that people arrive at first, via a search engine, tweet, Facebook post, etc. So it must make immediate sense to a new visitor, as well as entice her through to other parts of the site.

What factors come together to make good information design?

Whenever possible, I hope to split the Web Evangelism Bulletin into two shorter emails each month, to make it easier to read!

The first issue of March is now available online. You can subscribe here:

or on the Bulletin index page, or by RSS:

Read this issue here. Topics covered:

• Japan’s pain – resources and relief.
• Christian Web Conference at Biola – 25 per cent discount.
• Books – need for an evangelistic index?
• Information overload – and other voices.
• Word of mouth – to promote your blog.
• Social networking – ideas and help.
• Justin Bieber – Bible Quiz.
• The world we live in – resources and news.
• Tech Tips – really useful stuff.
• Plus our usual Tailend funnies.

You can automatically syndicate a summary of the Bulletin onto your Facebook Wall three easy steps.

Video for children and young teens

Just heard of this beautiful presentation for young people by good Norwegian friends at Kommunion.no. Other language versions are planned. More details on the MyFriendForever site.

It is of course widely accepted that color communicates various non-verbal messages, and so should be carefully chosen to match the communication it is associated with. Here’s an info-graphic suggesting ways to use color:

The Psychology of Color by Tech King

Social networking guru Chris Brogan offers examples of compelling fan page design. Of course, one big question a fan page designer must answer: “where do I want visitors to land?” On a welcome/info page, or the Wall? Check the links that Brogan offers, and share your thoughts using our comment link below.

NetworkedBlogs.com allows you to syndicate blog content direct to a Facebook Wall – not only your own, but (if they wish to opt-in to do this), Facebook Fans or Friends. The advantage of friends doing this is that your blog posts appear on their Walls (rather than their News Feeds), where friends are more likely to read them. And, therefore, your post will also appear on their friends’ News Feeds, giving much greater exposure. To see how we offer the instructions for people to implement it for this blog (feel free to copy these for your own use), go here.

New books

Several interesting secular books recently published on the ways that computers and social networking are changing us. I’ve not read any of them yet – if you have, and would like to post a review via the comment link below, please do. Or post a link to any review you feel is particularly insightful.

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other

Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the E-Personality

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

Web Evangelism Bulletin

And, the latest Web Evangelism Bulletin is now online – it covers:

• Trends for 2011 – technical, outreach and cultural.
• Mentor Center opportunities – TruthMedia.com’s opportunities.
• God: New Evidence – video apologetics and science.
• IEDay – and Month – May is coming.
• Communicating well – sharing the good news.
• Social networking – latest resources for Facebook, Twitter etc.
• Popular culture – movies and redemptive parallels.
• Mobile phone ministry – growing opportunities.
• Tech Tips – really useful stuff.
• Plus our usual Tailend funnies.

What does ‘best’ mean anyway?

If it means, Grade A graphic design, here are some examples:
60 of the Best Church Website Designs | Vandelay’s 50 Best.

If it means sites that actually engage with outsiders, avoid jargon, identify with the local community, and present the church as a family of people rather than a building where a program of meetings takes place, then that may be a different and harder call.

Our self-assessment questionnaire is designed to help churches develop outsider-friendly sites.

We have two short stories that relate to church websites: Desperately Seeking Lodgers | A Tale of Two Golf Clubs.

Check the latest Church Marketing Sucks resource links too.

What church sites do you think really achieve this, and why? Please add your thoughts on the ‘comment’ link below.

There are two communication truths which trump everything else: ‘story’ and ‘visual’. We learn and remember far more, when it is presented visually and includes elements of narrative story. Watch these two video clips below:

• RSA Animate – Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us.
  This video is significant in two ways. First, it shows how accompanying visual illustrations intensify the message being communicated. Second, it also offers real insights into what motivates people – there are some key truths here that apply to ministry and motivation.
• Brain Rules for Presentations. This is a PowerPoint telling you how not to do PowerPoints. One of its key messages is that visual trumps everything else. This applies to all communication, not just slide shows!

Please add your thoughts using the ‘comment’ link below.

Part 2 of the series of the excellent tutorials from Church 2.0 is now online.

You can view Part 1 here.

See also Steve Fogg’s advice on making a Facebook landing page for chruches. Equipping for Eministry blog post – Part 1 of Are You Using Facebook Effectively?

And August is OurChurch.com’s Social Media Month with coverage of many aspects. Latest posting is 5 Myths Believed by Those on the Social Media Sidelines.

Check our other recent posts and video clips about social networking, and links to free e-books on social networking plus other book reviews.

Interesting that women form a slight majority in the use of most forms of social media.

The Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization is a free download about a vital subject. Many Christian sites receive only a fraction of the visits they deserve because simple optimization techniques have not been applied to them, such as using a carefully written <title> tag containing an enticing title full of appropriate keywords, followed by a carefully worded <meta description> to amplify the details. (Other site promotion techniques are listed here.)

The Plain English Campaign (based as it happens in the town where I grew up) offers wise advice on jargon-free communication, with several free downloads.

And our free printable style guide explains pitfalls of punctuation and grammar.

Access these e-books here along with recommendations for other communication books.

Church 2.0 blog is just starting a 6-part series on designing a Facebook fan page, particularly with churches in mind. This includes using ‘Static FBML’ code to create stunning and individual effects. And by stunning, I mean stunning – see the Soul City Church fan page:

Follow this series at Church 2.0.

Check our previous post on free e-books and a webinar about Facebook fan pages.