A Communication Channel page
... our resource covering a wide range of evangelism issues
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The Guide Network
Networking together for web and mobile evangelism
The Global Use of Internet and Digital Evangelism (Guide) Network is an informal networking resource, linked with Internet Evangelism Day & Web Evangelism Guide, Internet Evangelism Coalition, [www.webevangelism.com] Global Christian Internet Alliance, [www.christianitytoday.com/international/features/info.html] Lausanne, [www.lausanne.org] and visionSynergy. [www.visionsynergy.net Its purpose:
“ Enhancing global spread of the Gospel in multiple languages via the Internet and mobile digital devices, by networking with practitioners to:Currently, the main resources of the Network are:
- share resources and information
- encourage Kingdom collaboration
- help the body of Christ to embrace and engage in internet/mobile evangelism ”
Guide Network YahooGroup [www.yahoogroups.com/group/guide-network]
which we invite you to join. Please state your reasons for wishing to join on the YahooGroups application form or by email. You may wish to opt for a daily digest, to restrict the number of emails you receive.)
This is a place to network with others, share news, and ask questions on any aspect of web/mobile evangelism.
Guide Network Facebook Group
and LinkedIn Group
– a further way of networking on web and mobile evangelism. (You need to be a member of Facebook or LinkedIn to view these pages, and join the group.)
- Mobilev [www.snipr.com/mobilev] Wiki, a mobile developments blog [http://davehackett.blogspot.com] and resources pages about mobile device evangelism, video evangelism, a listing of denominational web evangelism initiatives, and many other strategies.
- Networks relating to web and digital evangelism for specific areas of ministry, including:
- Digital Japan [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digital-japan/] for anyone interested in any type of digital outreach to Japan.
- A network of people using the Web to reach a very large monotheistic religious group in many nations. A Europe-based conference is held every year. If you are involved in digital ministry in this area, or would like to be, or are involved in a parallel ministry which is, or could be, integrated with the Web (radio, TV, video, mobile devices, literature, BCC, on-the-ground follow-up, etc, please email.
- A network/conference for people involved in digital ministry to Turkey: email.
- Children’s Web and Digital Media Ministry Network [http://community.godrev.com/group/childrenswebanddigitalmediaministrynetwork] – a place for networking, sharing vision, ideas, resources and strategy for reaching and teaching children through the Internet and digital media. (You will need to join GodRev, you can then ensure that your settings will only send you emails in relation to this group.)
- We hope to offer several other networks shortly, including one for web outreach in the Russian language.
- We believe that the concept of a national/regional network for digital evangelism has great potential and we encourage all involved in web ministry to consider the possibility of creating a network in their country or region.
- The growing range of resource pages and outside links on this site, including newsletters, recommended blogs, research papers, books,training resources, and our Communication Channel covering many evangelism topics.
- Lausanne’s newsletters Connecting Point [www.lausanne.org/lausanne-connecting-point] & Lausanne World Pulse, [www.lausanneworldpulse.com] the Network for Strategic Missions [http://strategicnetwork.org] knowledge-base of 17,000+ articles (you can get email alerts [http://strategicnetwork.org/mailman/listinfo/momentum] of new pages at this comprehensive resource) and the Brigada[www.brigada.org] newsletter.
Please link to this page using a text link or our logo:
get code.
Our vision
A special emphasis is assisting in the emergence of internet/mobile evangelism in more countries and languages beyond English, including the non-western world. There will soon be the ‘second billion’ web users outside the West, and even more have mobile phones right now. So our interest also includes the development of viral video clips and cartoons that can be used with mobile phones or online. We also wish to see increased convergence, synergy and collaboration between different electronic media, for instance DVDs and radio ministry, with the Web/mobile devices.We also wish to help the cross-cultural missions community in developing digital evangelism and discipleship integrated with their ministries on the ground, as explained in this Lausanne World Pulse [www.lausanneworldpulse.com/themedarticles.php/1087] article.
How we can help you?
Link you with others
Are you wishing to do web evangelism in a particular language? Are you planning a mobile phone initiative? Perhaps you are looking for training? We can probably link you with others working in the same area. With our involvement in the cross-cultural missions community as well as the new media, we do have a unique web of relationships to draw on. Or you may be a mission agency, just wondering whether to move into web or mobile ministry. Are you the editor Christian publication who wishes to interview people regarding web and mobile evangelism? Whatever your needs or questions, please write.Guide Network partner visionSynergy [www.visionsynergy.net] are also experts in helping Christian groups network together in other ways for the Great Commission. See their book Well Connected [www.connectedbook.net] (Phill Butler, Authentic Books/World Vision).
Free articles for editors
We offer to Christian print and web editors, and bloggers, a wide range of freely re-usable articles:- about web evangelism, plus MP3 interviews and talks, freely available for podcasting and broadcasting
- other articles: [http://www.probe.org/rusty] seeker/skeptic-friendly for non-Christians, and features on broader evangelism issues for Christians
Panel of speakers for conferences, seminars, Bible Colleges, or agencies
Some members of the Guide Network are available to speak about web and mobile evangelism at conferences, seminars, Bible Colleges or mission agency staff meetings (as well as offering consultancy advice by email or Skype.) We hope that increasingly, Bible Colleges will develop course modules on these topics, as our Open Letter to colleges suggests.Members of this panel are also available by telephone interview for Christian radio/podcasts or print media articles.
Annual conference
The annual Christian Web Conference is a prime place to learn more about digital outreach and network with others. You can watch
conference sessions of its predecessor online. (There will be no conference in 2009.)
There are other conferences and training sessions around
the world.
Cheap/free software, webmaster and technical advice
Guide Network does not major in technical advice, although by all means ask other members. (If you are newcomer to the Web, check these resources.) Your best route for asking about (and giving) technical solutions is to join online forums such as GeeksandGod [www.geeksandgod.com] | Webmaster Talk [www.webmaster-talk.com] and many others. Our webmaster page offers the weekly Possibilities ezine. For equipment purchasing decisions, always check out online reviews at CNET [www.cnet.com] and elsewhere, and join ICCM-Tech. [www.yahoogroups.com/group/iccm-tech]For church webmaster forums to discuss technical issues and site critiques, see Great Church Websites [www.greatchurchwebsites.org] and ChurchMedia.net [www.ChurchMedia.net] which also covers wider church media issues such as PA, projection, video and related issues, and offers an annual conference. Of course, a Google search will frequently lead you to a technical solution already posted online.
We highly recommend SiteProNews’ webmaster
articles [www.sitepronews.com/article-archives]
and newsletters. [www.sitepronews.com/archives.html]
See also the newsletters and articles at
SitePoint. [www.sitepoint.com/newsletter] We offer advice on Search Engine Optimization and page promotion.
For royalty-free graphics (often completely free for non-profits), see StockExchange. [www.sxc.hu]
Of the greatest value to web developers are the various free Firefox
browser Add-ons [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox]
such as the Web Developer toolbar and Search Engine Optimization tools. For valuable guidance
on HTML, CSS and other scripting, see
W3Schools. [http://www.w3schools.com]
International Conference on Computing and Mission (ICCM) [www.iccm.org] focuses mainly on tech support for missions, with mailing lists, and annual conferences in US, Australia/Asia and Europe [www.iccm-europe.org] and also provide the MissionTech Wiki. [http://www.missiontech.info]
Be aware that there is much free software available for those on a restricted budget. OpenOffice is an excellent free alternative to MS Office suite, and most of its components are at least the equal of Microsoft, although its PowerPoint capability is a little behind the latest MS version (though it has a great export to Flash or PDF feature). Open Office does not include any desktop equivalent of Publisher, but consider Serif free or very cheap equivalents.
PrimoPDF saves any file to PDF. There are many thousands of freeware/shareware products which are often equally as good as commercial programs. Take the time to research what may be available to suit your needs at Download.com [www.download.com] and Google for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Google’s many free applications, including user-sharing GoogleDocs, [www.docs.google.com] are also highly useful, though be aware that any apparently private document can be hacked, so we aware that there is always a security issue here.
To check two lists of emails for duplicates or uniques, try out tool. The recommended antivirus Avast [www.avast.com] is free to use on a personally-owned computer, and licences for organizational use are very reasonable. All computers should also have installed the free versions of Spybot Search and Destroy and AdAware. [www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php]
And many software providers offer very substantial discounts to non-profit organisations. For instance, DreamWeaver, Adobe and Microsoft products are usually available at 20-25% of the commercial price. It is always worth asking a manufacturer – they may not publicize discounts widely for fear of abuse. Mach5.com offers 20% off, on request. Retailers and other resources at special not-for-profit prices include: TechSoup, [www.techsoup.com] CCBNonProfits (N America) [www.ccbnonprofits.com] and Civica (UK). [www.civica.co.uk]
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