2008 was a short year for Communicate Jesus – we only launched in December! For those who arrived late in the piece, here’s a summary (with links) to each of this year’s posts:
Finally, thank you to all the readers of Communicate Jesus (that’s you!). I’m looking forward to serving you in 2009 with more ideas on how we can use the internet, new media and technology as we seek to make Jesus known and glorified in all parts of our world.
I love to plan. There’s nothing quite like pulling out a clean sheet of paper (or opening a new document) and planning the year/month/week/day ahead! If you’re in ministry, you would have done much of your planning for the year ahead because as soon as December 31 moves to January 1, the year starts all over again!
As most of us have experienced, it’s one thing to have a plan, it’s quite another to stick to your plan and monitor your progress throughout the year. Last month I devised a detailed for our outdoor carols service. It included details on what had to happen when, and who would do it. I got off to a great start, but two weeks in I’d stopped reviewing the plan, and only looked at it again after the event.
The internet has some great sites for setting individual goals (things like losing weight, exercising more, reducing credit card debt etc). One of the benefits of using these web-based applications is the online community who can encourage you and keep you accountable to your goals. It’s easy to communicate with, and be motivated by others who want to stop smoking, or learn to play the clarinet – and they don’t have to live in the same country as you. Here are five tools you might like to check out:
These tools can also be used for ministry. Here are some of the benefits of using these tools:
Break up your goals into manageable tasks (less overwhelming and a greater sense of achievement),
Send yourself (automatic) reminders of things you should be doing,
View graphs and charts (if you’re so inclined!),
Collaborate with others who have a role in the goal/project,
Track and update your progress via your mobile phone! (not for everyone, but great to have the option).
I like the look of No Kahuna, but it’s a bit simple for my liking (e.g. you can’t assign dates to tasks). Basecamp is regarded as one of, if not, the best, but it’s not cheap. Basecamp works best if everyone in your ministry team is using it. I tried to sign-up for Mecanbe but they’re currently not accepting new users. For my money (or lack thereof) I recommend Lifetick. I’ve had fun playing with Lifetick and they even have a short tour you can watch to see if it’s for you. It has a slick interface, and you can have four goals for free. I also liked this question and answer in their FAQs (frequently asked questions):
What is a fortnight?
For our American friends, a fortnight means two weeks. Therefore, if you set a fortnightly email reminder it will come every two weeks.
I had no idea that fortnights don’t exist in the US!
If you have tried (or are about to start trying) to use web-based applications to set goals and monitor your progress, let the rest of us know. It’d be great to hear of what works and what doesn’t.
Handing over regrets
Speaking of the new year (note the subtle segue!), Igniter Media Group have developed a great video for the end of one year, and the beginning of another. The end of the year is often an opportunity to be filled with regrets. This video is an encouragement to hand those regrets over to God. You can watch the video below:
Across the world this past 12 months, many Christian conferences have taken place. Yet to attend these conferences would have costs tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention more time than any of us have. What a shame.
Not quite. Thanks to the internet, many of the talks from these conferences can now be accessed online. Sure, by not attending the conference we miss out on the fellowship, singing and the conference vibe, but we need not miss out on some great teaching.
Here’s a sample of some of the conferences that took place this year that have since made their talks available online at no cost. There are lots of conference talks you can pay to download or purchase on CD/DVD. I’m passionate about free (read The Ministry of Free to discover why). If you are aware of other conferences this year that have made their talks available for free online, feel free to add the details by posting a comment, or send me an email and I’ll add it to the site for you.
Dwell conference – Acts 29 is a network to support church planting and church planters. There are 8 talks available from their NYC conference. Check it out…
Together for the Gospel – started by four friends (Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C. J. Mahaney, and Albert Mohler) who then invited their friends – Thabiti Anyabwile, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R. C. Sproul to speak at this biennial conference. Check it out…
Google Maps are a great tool. If I’m heading to a place I haven’t been before, I’ll consult Google Maps for a direction, and using the new Street View technology I can see what my destination looks like from the street. For instance, here’s what my church looks like using Google Street View:
1. Go to Google Maps Local Business Centre (Center).
2. Log-in using your Google account details, or create a new account.
3. Add the address and basic contact details for your church:
4. You can then add photos and videos, and even let people know when the business hours (services times!) are.
Your church’s details will appear on the Google Maps listing as below (click on the image to enlarge it):
Not everyone will find your church on Google Maps. For those who do, it’s easy to give them this basic information to make it even easier for them to find out more, and even make it along to a church service.
I got an email from Chris last week, and he wants to use his holidays to get better acquainted with the internet. He says:
“Obviously I can surf the web and email pretty confidently, but I think as a future pastor (God-willing) I should know what I’m expecting of other people when I ask them to prepare a church website, etc.”
Great forward-thinking Chris. Not only is it worthwhile knowing what’s involved for people in your congregtion, it’s worth knowing what’s happening for your own benefit too. The internet has moved from the domain of the tech-savvy gurus to be a friendly market for the eager but inexperienced.
So where do you start? Here’s a list of 5 sites that I regularly check out to keep my finger on the pulse.
Mashable. In their own words, Mashable is “All that’s new on the web”. It’s a great resource, but I always feel overwhelmed when I visit this site by the massive amount of new resources that are constantly being birthed.
Sydney Morning Herald Technology section. This website covers more than just the internet, but covers a range of interesting tech-related pieces.
Google. A list of all Google Products. Even if you’ve been kicking around the internet for some time, I can (almost) guarantee there’s some products on this list that you won’t have heard of.
Google Labs. If you haven’t heard of the above list of Google products then you definitely won’t have heard of the products in Google Labs. This is the experimental playground for new Google ideas, and was the birthing room for many of Google’s now prolific products.
Web Worker Daily. This site is aimed at people who use the internet to get their work done (particularly freelancers) but I find it useful for staying in the loop. The articles on this site can be at the deeper end of required technical experience (but what better way to learn how to swim than to jump in the deep end!)
I hope you find this list helpful. If you’re a seasoned internet user, what sites do you find useful for keeping on top of online developments?
On Saturday spoke at the Create Conference in Sydney. At the conference I spoke about the numerous opportunities the internet provides for churches and other Christian ministries. Communicate Jesus is all about using the internet, and other technologies and techniques to make Jesus known, and to do this well. Below are the links I recommended at the conference – I will talk more about these and other applications in the coming months. I’d love to hear about the applications and websites you use in your ministry.
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