We create the platform and show you how easy it is to help you fulfill your mission online.

In Episode, Six  Erica helps Terry Williams of Terry Williams Ministries, Louisburg, NC refresh her website by switching to the brand new “Fluid Ministry” theme.

Who is Terry Williams?

Introducing Terry Williams, a passionate Evangelist, talented Artist, and devoted advocate of the Daughters of Hope Missions. Terry’s heartfelt desire was to touch people’s lives with the transformative message of Jesus through her website.

I want to use my website to make Jesus known to everyone around the world! -Terry Williams

What were the issues that were keeping Terry’s website from achieving its goals of making reaching as many people as possible to tell the message of Jesus?

Initially, Terry’s website fell short of its potential, as it failed to portray her exquisite art or adequately convey her purpose. Visitors were left puzzled, unsure of the website’s true essence.

Some of the issues were:

• The theme was outdated and overused.
• There was too much text to focus on.
• The website wasn’t clear about what her ministry was about.
• Terry’s art ministry wasn’t represented on the website.

The Website Makeover Video

Note, this five-minute video has been sped up to keep the video short but if you’d like to see more detailed step-by-step instructions remember we have a library of free video tutorials to help you build the website to meet your church or ministry goals.

The Before and After

Here is what the homepage looked like before the Website Makeover….

And here is what it looks like now.

Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram

The End Result

Terry Williams Ministries‘ refreshed digital abode serves as a gateway to enlightenment, inviting all who enter to partake in the transformative journey she so passionately shares. Witness the harmonious dance between her profound ministry and breathtaking artistry, as they intertwine and enthrall with each stroke and syllable.

Beyond the aesthetics, Terry’s ministry takes center stage, and her passion for the Daughters of Hope Missions shines brilliantly, touching the lives of countless individuals with hope, love, and compassion.

Let’s hear what Terry has to say about all the changes that we made and about ourchurch.com:

“I appreciate the personal service. I’ve been with OurChurch for many years and everybody’s always been very accessible and helpful!” -Terry Williams

Do you need a website for your Christian church, ministry or business that will effectively attract your desired target audience? Do you want an easy to use platform to reach your online goals? Click for more info about our church website builder or church web design, or complete the form below to schedule a free consultation.

Post a comment and discuss…

• What do you think? How profoundly does a stellar website shape the destiny of a ministry?

Continue reading Website Makeovers With Erica -Episode 5 Courageous  Hearts Preschool and Childcare Center or  10 Ways to Grow Your Love for Your Website

Erica Couture

OurChurch.Com Member Support Specialist

Erica is a seasoned writer and digital content expert with a talent for helping organizations tell their stories online. As a Member Support Specialist at OurChurch.Com, Erica has crafted engaging blogs and web content for faith-based organizations and small businesses, contributing to websites like AProperFarm.com, HolyTrinityTampa.org, and her own platform, MrsEricaandBoydee.com.

With an MFA in Media Design Management from the International Academy of Design and Technology, Erica combines creative storytelling with strategic communication. Her leadership as Owner and Creative Director of CornerStoneFaith.com (2010–2016) showcased her commitment to faith-based content and community engagement, building meaningful connections through her work.

Known for her personable and relatable writing style, Erica translates complex ideas into practical, inspiring insights. Beyond her professional pursuits, she shares glimpses of her life and passions on YouTube at Mrs. Erica and Boydee. Erica’s blend of expertise, creativity, and authenticity makes her a trusted voice in the digital space.

MrsEricaandBoydee.com

The post Website Makeovers with Erica – Ep6: Terry Williams Ministries, Louisburg, NC appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Many people desire to support missionaries contributing to a personal goal they have, or to whom they can relate. Up till now, finding specific missionaries has been a difficult task. But that is about to change.

In traditional partnership development, missionaries seek financial support based on personal relationships. But what if it could also go the other way around? What if partners could find missionaries as well?

There are “strategic partners” out there who want to support missionaries contributing to a strategic goal they have. There are also people who have recently been impressed with the desire to be part of missions but don’t happen to know any missionaries personally.

In both of these cases, these potential partners have not been given the proper tools to effectively find missionaries. Engaging these partners more fully could make a huge impact on missionaries raising support.

The Other Direction

A strategic partner is someone who has decided on their own to support missionaries with a specific goal in mind. Given this strategic goal, they then try to find missionaries who are already contributing to that goal. For example, someone might have a heart for a particular country and want to support missionaries serving there. Or they might feel that there is a real need for tech-savvy workers in missions. Another person might want to support missionaries reaching a particular people group, such as Muslims or a least-reached people group. The list could go on and on.

We have encountered several such partners along our own partnership development journey. There were people who found us and wanted to support us because of the work we were doing.

A second group of people are those who have recently been impressed with the desire to be part of missions. This could be as the result of a sermon they heard, or a small group meeting they attended, or something else entirely. They feel they should be contributing something, but don’t personally know any missionaries to support. With the proper tool, they could find missionaries they could relate to in some way or whose ministry resonates with them, perhaps via a shared job skill, or a connection to a country of origin. They may be inspired to partner with them.

But, this group of potential partners has a problem. How do they find missionaries contributing to their goals?

Suppose someone wants to support a missionary employing IT skills, how would they find one? They could contact one mission organization after another asking if by chance they have a missionary doing IT work who needs support. Or they could visit countless websites hoping they list job skills for their missionaries and their support levels. Both of these are very labor-intensive. They could ask their church or their circle of contacts, but that would be very hit and miss. The same problems are encountered for just about any criteria.

Even if visiting every organization’s website was a possibility, for most organizations, their list of missionaries is not searchable. Sometimes even browsing a list is not possible. In some cases, this is done to protect missionaries serving in sensitive locations, which is completely understandable. But that doesn’t cover every case. It seems most organizations assume that if you are coming to their missionary page, you already know the name of someone you want to support. This, understandably, assumes the personal relationship method.

The Solution

To fully engage these groups of potential partners, the best solution would be a single website that could collect information about missionaries in need of support from all organizations, and structure it in a searchable format. It should be searchable by location via a map and be able to be filtered by things like job skills, areas of the world being impacted by their work, their current support level, etc. It also should not take any part of donations, as that only makes the job of raising support harder again.

The personal connection between a partner and missionary is also crucial to the missionary’s success. Partners should be praying for, and encouraging their missionaries along the way. This must be supported by any solution.

At Ergatas, we feel that we’ve created just such a website. You can find out more at https://ergatas.org.

With such a tool, an entirely new group of people can be fully engaged for the Kingdom, helping missionaries reach full funding faster, and blessing the giver at the same time.

Have you ever felt like you’d like to be more involved in missions but didn’t know where to start?

kevin.horan

Kevin earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science in 2011 and then became a supported missionary doing IT work and software development. When not coding, Kevin is usually out mountain biking. In 2020 Kevin founded Ergatas (https://ergatas.org).

ergatas.org

The post In Search of the Right Missionary appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

How is your church experience, fellow Christian? Do you sometimes feel like it is not that interesting anymore? Especially in this time of the pandemic, a lot has changed. Hence, you are longing for something new. How then should the church deal with it?

The Ideal Church Experience for Christians

The church is God’s idea. It is through which He manifests in our Christian life. Through this, we worship and reconnect with Him.

The church is there for a purpose. It teaches us lessons from the Bible. Also, we develop our relationship with Him and other people. At the same time, it establishes our faith. 

More importantly, the church instills in us the value of service. It gives us opportunities toward fulfilling our calling and mission. Thus, we solidify our identity as individual members and as a church.

God intends for the church to be a home of spiritual revival. Mainly, it is where one can find encouragement through the study of the Word. Also, he finds a sense of community through the fellowship of the members.

With all these, God also wants the church experience to be fun. Thus, dull worship is never His intention.

The Challenge of Shifting to the New Normal

It has been our custom to attend church face to face. We would shake each other’s hands and talk to each other. Also, we used to listen to sermons and engage in discussions physically. Therefore, we knew no barriers to communication and fellowship.

However, an unexpected occurrence changed the world. This pandemic crisis has affected our worship and outreach gatherings. But despite the new reality, God’s work should continue. Indeed, the urgency challenged us to use digital technology.

However, the adjustment was not easy. Specifically, most churches had no access to the Internet. They did not have digital media. Besides, most members lacked skills in computer technology.

Integrating Internet Technology in the Ministry

Know the Advantages of Internet Technology

1) It is cost-efficient.

You may think that investing in digital technology can be costly. In fact, yes! However, the investment is worth it. You can save time and effort using the Internet for church programs.

2) It provides a vast reach.

The Internet is accessible in any part of the world. Learning to use it allows connection to thousands of users. Social media platforms can help a lot. Just imagine the endless possibilities it can offer!

3) It provides easy access to information.

The web unlocks access to as much information as you want. With just a few clicks, it brings you to various sites answering your questions. However, you, too, can be the source of information. After all, the Internet is a sharing platform. You give and take.

4) It allows communication.

The Internet allows virtual interaction and sharing of contents. It maintains connections among members. Eventually, it extends outside the church. Good thing! It keeps innovating. More and more improvements come along the way.

5) It helps improve programs and services.

Social media platforms can boost fundraising efforts. There are websites providing solutions for effective marketing. Also, financial transactions are now a lot more convenient. It is possible because of online banking.

Create a Digital Media Team

A digital team comprises volunteers. They handle digital communications and marketing. Also, they are in charge of audiovisual production. It is necessary for both recorded and live-streamed services. Hence, their skill in the Internet and computer programs is essential. It is vital for the virtual life of the church.

Build a Church Website

1) Wix

This website builder is best for the overall website building experience. It has hundreds of designer-made templates that are customizable. 

Moving on, it has free and reliable hosting features. Besides, there are free fonts, text and image editors, and the like. You can also enjoy multiple payment methods and marketing tools. Aside from this, there is site analytics.

2) Weebly

This builder is useful if you are building on a budget. It has templates, a photo gallery creator, and audio or video players. It includes a form builder and web traffic indicators. Besides, there is an integration of shopping cart and checkout. You can also find free blog templates with features for sharing. 

3) Our Church 

Evident from its name, this builder is specific for church websites. It offers web design, hosting, and SEO.

With the WP-EZ Website Builder, this site makes website building fast, affordable, efficient, and convenient. It results in a gadget-friendly website look. Precisely, it fits the view on a computer, tablet, notebook, and smartphone.

Significantly, this builder gains positive reviews. For instance, Kevin Frontier of Emmaus Church mentions that it is efficient and responsive. It provides him a powerful tool for outreach. Also, Robert David Jones of Bethlehem Baptist Church commends its creation and hosting services.

Run Programs Using Video Conferencing Applications

1) Zoom

This application is a popular and commonly used video conferencing software. It has rooms for meetings and chats. You can host video webinars. Also, there is an option to live-stream on Facebook and YouTube.

2) Google Meet

This video-conferencing application is easy to use. It accommodates an unlimited number of meetings. Its features include live captioning, screen sharing, and messaging. Moreover, you can adjust layouts and screen settings. Also, you can control meeting hosts.

3) Streamyard

This application is a great live streaming buddy. It allows unlimited streaming of up to 10 participants. Also, you can record the stream for up to 4 hours. Besides, you can play with different logos, overlays, and backgrounds. 

Promote and Connect Through Social Media

1) Facebook

This platform is an excellent tool for social interaction. Interestingly, it also works well for marketing. It provides a news section, wall, and timeline. There is also a medium for messages, comments, reactions, and so on. 

Interestingly, you can create a page. It provides the church a digital presence. It has tools to grow the business. Besides, you can connect with people and manage interactions. 

A group is another space for building a network. You can add people with similar interests. With this, the church can discuss and share topics with the members.

2) YouTube

This site is a popular and commonly used platform for sharing videos. By creating a channel, the church can upload video content. It can be on any topic. Also, it can stream its worship services live. Viewers can watch your programs at home. 

Users can like and comment on your videos. They can also share and subscribe to your channel. Doing so helps grow your content and build a family of supporters.

Our Take-home Lesson 

Indeed, evangelism should go on no matter what. Nothing should hinder the work that God has entrusted us.

We never expected this health crisis. It brought about changes in our customs and traditions. Unfortunately, it did not exempt the church. It has had negative impacts. However, it turned out to be a blessing. It challenged us to be creative and resourceful. 

We gradually learned to adapt to the situation. Hence, we maximized the use of the Internet. It offers more than what we think. The Internet provides almost everything to improve our online church ministry. 

The possibilities are just at our fingertips. It only takes one to explore and discover.

Chasing Hope

Chasing Hope is an inspiring podcast about the Christian life where it talks about faith, hope, and some Christian history. Besides spiritual life topics, the podcast also talks about career, family, and plenty of areas that concern the listener.

chasinghopewithkatherine.com

The post How to Integrate Internet Technology in the Church Ministry appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

With online payment processors like PayPal, anyone with a credit card anywhere in the world is a potential contributor.  With social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, it’s possible for a charity to gain tens of thousands of online followers.  And those tens of thousands of followers have the capacity to spread the word about a campaign to millions of their followers.

We’ve written about several success stories over the years:

• Big Love Little Hearts raised $25k with Foursquare, Twitter, Facebook
• Donald Miller raised $300k to save the Blue Like Jazz movie
• Pastor Shaun King, Eva Longoria raised $500k for Haiti through TwitChange

If you lead a church or charitable organization, it seems foolish not to be using social media, email and an online giving platform to maintain relationships with donors and connect with new donors.

If your church or nonprofit doesn’t support online giving yet, learn more about how you can setup online giving for free. All you need is a website with an SSL certificate for security.)

Donor Fatigue

The success of online fundraising, the low barrier to entry (any charity can set up PayPal, Facebook, and Twitter accounts for free in a minutes), and the growing number of people using social media, has led to an explosion in online giving campaigns and donation requests.

Hardly a day goes by when I don’t see at least one donation request on Facebook or Twitter.

If you genuinely care about people,  reading the donation requests, considering them, making a decision as to whether to give or not, and then accepting that decision can be stressful and lead to “donor fatigue.”

At some point, you begin coping with donor fatigue by closing your heart to the requests.  You read them, but don’t seriously consider them.  Or maybe you stop reading them.  Or maybe you stop following certain people/organizations who ask too often.

If you understand donation request fatigue as an individual, don’t perpetuate it as church, ministry, or non-profit.  This is another situation where…

Less is more!

Be strategic about when and how often you ask for donations.

And whenever you ask for money, always remind people of your mission and how their gift will help to make that happen.

For more than 20 years OurChurch.Com has been helping churches and Christian organizations just like yours with building a Christian website, Christian website design and Christian SEO, we’d love to help you better live out your mission online.

Comment and discuss… Have you personally experienced “donor fatigue?”  If so, how do you feel about asking for financial support and being asked for financial support? How do you ask for financial support in a way it creates cheerful givers?

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post The Pros and Cons of Online Fundraising appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Ten years ago I was a part of a Christian community with residential communal homes worldwide. I spent 4 years of my life there, and those were the most amazing 4 years of my life which inspired me to join one of the missions for orphaned children in Peru, Argentina, and Africa.

As I was spending a few months in silence and contemplation, preparing to join the missions, certain health issues occurred and I had to return home for therapy treatments.

That was a slap in the face for me!

Along came a period of challenges, failures, and victories.

I finally got my Web Marketing education, and soon enough I was working as a freelancer. Only recently though, God’s amazing plan started to reveal itself to me.

Now, I’m so grateful for not going to the missions at that time. I’m grateful for all of the challenges and failures which have taught me so much about faith, love, and about myself too.

Additionally, I’ve learned so much about web marketing and the way the internet has changed the way people communicate and search for information. My final conclusion:

Social Media is THE place to be for missions leaders and members.

Being a part of a mission is an amazing and inspiring task. It can get challenging and tough, but after every battle, you come out a stronger and better person. The help of communities and the entire public can make a huge change in moments of difficulty.

This is where social media comes in. Because social media is the most powerful communication channel on the web. News travels way faster, thus creating a buzz, plus you can talk directly to your followers and hear their opinions. By raising your voice and spreading the word about your mission, you’re not bragging. You’re sharing inspiration with the world and allowing the public online to provide support for the mission, and to help you overcome the challenges ahead.

Whether you are a part of a church, or community, or an organizational mission; the public needs to know, wants to know about it. The more you share with the world, the more providence you’re letting in, and the more opportunity to spread the Word of God.

1) Post about your challenges and victories on Facebook

Facebook Canvases on Facebook pages are great ways to tell a story. Create an image or a canvas, telling the story of the challenge you have just overcome, the things you and your friends learned, how you felt and so on.

Include images and holy art elements to show the presence of the love of God. Use videos to make the story come to life.

On a canvas, add captions and quotes to emphasize important parts of the story. Let your faith and the gratefulness for being a part of your mission reflect in everything you create.

2) Do Member of the Week or Month Campaigns on Facebook and Instagram

Every week or month, whatever your preferences, decide which member or resident of your mission will be featured in your posts. Post pictures and talk about their personality features, fun facts, life quotes, fave Bible verses and so forth.

Share and comment on what you’re learning from that mission member, and how they are a special and unique child of God.

3) Daily Mission Tweets on Twitter

Post daily about an ongoing difficulty or challenge you and your fellow missionaries are going through. Share updates, special moments, your feelings, inspirations and new discoveries. Tweet about the changes and moments happening during the challenging times. Ask for advice even, get people engaged by asking for their opinion and support.

Make sure you tweet 2 to 4 times a day, short tweets, relevant hashtags and a simple video or image can go a long way!

4) Share Images of Special Moments With Quotes from the Bible on Instagram

Take pictures of the moments in which you saw the living word of God in your daily life at your mission and add the pertaining Bible quote on it. You can use a number of great apps for image editing, even if you don’t have access to a computer.

One great app is Pixlr, you can edit pics in a number of ways and add text to them.

There’s also Canva, which is a great alternative to the complicated Photoshop used by pro designers.

5)  Share the Daily Word of God You’re Reading at your Mission

Post morning readings and quotes on a Social Media Channel of your choice. Use Instagram to share the Word of God with holy art images and quotes of the day.

Share your reflections of that day and Word in the evenings to get your community engaged with the life and purpose of your mission.

Ask your followers for their own reflections of the Word. People love to share moving and inspirational stories. Plus, you will be serving the purpose of a Holy Messenger encouraging and comforting those in need.

Wow, what an amazing task. It’s so fulfilling to spread the love of God through inspiring and comforting with words of faith. And social media platforms provide the best opportunities to do that and much more.

Did this inspire you to get your Christian Mission a Social Media Page?

I truly hope this post has inspired you to spread the word about your Mission and the Love of God through social media channels.

Already using the Social Media for your missions? Awesome… hop over to the comments below, and share some of your own ideas and experiences, spread the love!

Mia Alis

Mia Alis is a freelance writer and marketer. She’s seen the ups and downs of life through tough challenges, which have taught her to be stronger, to have more faith and to strive to be a better person. Her journey unites her personal and professional growth where she discovers inspiration for creative marketing tactics and new ideas. She’s grateful for the love of Jesus Christ, her best friend, and savior who never lets her down and helps her learn the lessons of love.

The post 5 Inspirational Ideas for Using Social Media for Christian Missions appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

Sign this petition & save the African lions!

Sign this petition to keep this murderer behind bars!

Sign this petition and protect children!

Sign this petition and fight oppression against women!

Sign this petition and get this innocent man out of prison!

The Question About Followers of Jesus & Online Petitions

I know that to many believers, online ministry in any form is not seen as a valid form of ministry in the way that traditional, offline, in-person ministry is. To many, it’s like a person just hiding behind a computer screen because that is easier than dealing with people face-to-face. To be sure, it is easy to do that because we can present ourselves in any way we want and because nonverbal communication is absent.

It has taken years for online ministry to catch up with traditional ministry. Now that it has, more and more believers, especially those who are passionate about ending abortion or guarding Western religious liberties, are using social media for ministry. One of the things they are doing is starting online petitions. Many in the prolife movement, for example, have started multiple petitions calling for Planned Parenthood to be stripped of taxpayer funds. This has come to the attention of a divided Congress. They remain in gridlock over this issue but at least it has come to their attention! Last year, many nonprofits created multiple petitions to free Meriam Ibrahim from a Sudanese prison, where she was in chains with two of her children for being a believer. She was freed from prison after eight months.

Yes, online petitions can make a difference! I know that some people do not think this is true and I have been told so much, but I know differently.

My Experience With Signing & Starting Online Petitions

I signed so many petitions since I joined Facebook years ago, that I cannot keep track of all the online petitions I have signed. The first online petition I created was to appeal to the U.S. Congress to fund autism services for all in need of them, regardless of their ability to pay. To sum it up, because of account issues, I had to re-start this petition and re-do it and it is active. Four of my online petitions pertain to reducing abortion through improving laws so it will become unthinkable. As a “no-name” person without $$$ to run ads, I have never found it easy to gather signatures. No, this post is not an effort to get petition signatures! If you are interested in signing you will need to visit my website linked below, to find out more. I certainly would gratefully accept your support on these petitions! Certainly no believer need sign or create any online or traditional petition, to follow Jesus or make a difference for Him and people. I know of people, both believers and non-believers, who refuse to sign any petitions. Period. This is their choice and they have other ways of advocating. But we have been called to speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves. Aren’t online petitions one way to do this in this high-tech age?

More Personal Experiences

When I was busy circulating my first version of my autism petition, I had some church opposition. At the time, I was in a denomination that believed and wrote into their by-laws, that pastors and leadership should not get involved in any public advocacy. The pastor stated in a sermon: “Because of our by-laws, I cannot speak into many issues that I, for one, feel very strongly about.” When I had approached him about circulating my petition among members of our large congregation, I was declined and told that allowing me to do this violated official denominational church body policy. He did sign it on his own, but the point is that the idea that believers should not mess with public advocacy, has been institutionalized in some denominations. Should it be this way? Aren’t we called to both personal service as well as public advocacy? After all, Jesus not only preached and taught, but also healed and defended the oppressed. We need both evangelism and social involvement!

Every Christian’s Calling & Online Petitions

Our primary calling is to love God and love others. This includes the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. These are to know, love, and trust God and to serve others through lives of love and words of truth. There are many, many different ways to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. We are all called differently. Just as all of us who focus on online ministry need those who focus on traditional ministry, so those of us who focus on traditional ministry need those of us who focus on online ministry. This includes creating and signing online petitions that are consistent with Biblical values.

So what has God called you to do?

lisadesherlia

Lisa DeSherlia is a follower of Jesus, a wife, a mom and a blogger. She advocates for any of those who are voiceless and marginalized: the unborn, those with disabilities, those facing severe religious persecution, and others voiceless people groups or individuals. She has a fairly new self-hosted website call AllLivesAreSacred.com as well as a complementary Facebook page which she has set up as a ministry to the public.
She maintains a site that is specific to preventing an ending abortion. It is called NeverAbortion and she has a Facebook page named after the site: NeverAbortion.

aprayerpage.blogspot.com

The post Should Followers of Jesus Sign and Start Online Petitions? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

I’ve often found having real-world examples helps me learn a great deal. If you’re the same way, here’s an opportunity to learn from a real-world example in real time…

Tonight (Oct 9) I’m heading to Haiti with a team of people from 3 different churches. I hope to share pictures and stories each day on the Journey Community Church blog. If you go there now, you can subscribe to get email notification each time an update is posted. I’ll also be posting to the Journey Community Church Facebook Page.

While I’ve done this on 3 previous trips, technology is always changing. I don’t have this all figured out. I’m looking forward to learning new things.

I’d love to hear your feedback

• What resonates with you?
• What didn’t?
• What else could have been done to share this experience with others online?
• What could be done better?

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Follow Me To Haiti appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

In this post, we’re going to look more specifically at one of the biggest challenges for those serving on short-term missions trips…

Raising Financial Support

Used to be that writing snail-mail support letters to family and friends was the primary method of raising support for short term missions trips.  The Internet has changed all that.  But the Internet isn’t a magic money tree.  It’s a collection of tools that need to be used properly to be successful.  So here to help you do that are…

7 Tips for Raising Support for Missions Trips Online

1) Overcome donor fatigue by clearly explaining the compelling mission.

People are constantly being asked to donate. Trust me, I know… I have 3 kids in school and it seems like every week we are being asked to donate or participate in a different fundraiser. The Internet has made this even more challenging but putting the needs and charities of the entire world before our eyes every day. If you want people to give, you have to make it crystal clear exactly how you are going to be serving people and changing people’s lives.

2) Communicate an opportunity mindset

One of the biggest mistakes I see some people make when asking for financial support, is doing it with reluctance. Some people almost apologize for asking for financial support, as if they just got handed the check at a restaurant and realized they forgot their wallet.

If you’re going to serve people in a life-changing way, then the people who make it possible for you to go have a hand in changing people’s lives. You are giving them a great opportunity to be a part of something really special. Granted not everyone think of it that way, but if you don’t think if it that way, no one will.

3) Show pictures and video

People are moved by pictures and video far more than text. Pictures and video help people make a connection with you and with the people you’re serving. They help people see what’s really going on. Share as many pictures and videos as you can.

4) Utilize social media

Most missions trips involve months of planning and preparing physically, mentally, and spiritually. But before the Internet, many people raised support for missions trips by sending a single letter to friends and family. Social media can add a whole new dimension to your support raising and trip preparation by making it interactive. It enables you to take you friends and family on the pre-journey “journey.” Social media also enables your supporters to share what you’re doing with their friends and family which has the potential to broaden your support.

5) Let people donate online

If you’re communicating with people about your mission online, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to force people to support you by going offline to write a check and mail it to you. Most people today are comfortable making making purchases and sending money online. At the very least, allow poeple to give through PayPal.

But even better are sites like GoFundMe, which not only facilitate the online transaction but also facilitate a lot of the social components mentioned above.

6) Provide other ways for people to connect and support you online

There are lots of other ways people can support you beyond financial support. Prayer and encouragement are huge! We talked about social media earlier, but not everyone uses social media (gasp!). I’m a big advocate of blogging before, during and after the missions trip. I also highly recommend adding a “subscribe” feature to your blog so that people who subscribe automatically get an email every time you post to the blog.

7) Email a personal, non-pressure ask

With all this talk of GoFundMe, social media and blogs, you might think these tools will take care of everything for you, but they are not without their shortcomings. Your friends and followers don’t see all your social media updates. And even when they do, there’s the issue of donor fatigue. Furthermore, there’s a good chance if people read about your missions trip in social media, they’ll assume someone else will support you.

So, I think it’s extremely important to send personal emails to friends and family asking them to support you. Don’t beg or pressure or guilt trip, just share your excitement for the opportunity you have and give them the opportunity to be a part of it. Include links so they can donate and get future updates.

Follow me to Haiti

If you’d like to see examples of these tips, follow along with me as I prepare to go to Haiti next month. Check out our blog.  Subscribe if you’d like to receive updates by email. And you can take a look at my GoFundMe campaign here.

Discuss

• Which of these tips impacted you most?  Why?
• What other suggestions do you have for someone seeking to raise financial support for a missions trip online?

For more discussion on using social media with missions trips, join me tonight (Tuesday Sept 22) at 9 PM Eastern time for this week’s #ChSocM Church Social Media Twitter chat – here.

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post 7 Tips for Raising Support for Missions Trips Online appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

But usually only a small percentage of the people who are a part of a church ever participate in a missions trip.

Thanks to technology, though, your whole church can be a part of your next missions trip!

I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to serve in Costa Rica and Kenya. And next month, I’ll be a part of a team that is traveling to serve at the House of Blessings orphanage in Haiti.

The philosophy of my church when it comes to missions trips is that when we send a team, everyone is a part of it. Not everyone is physically present, of course, but everyone can pray, provide financial support, provide supplies, and help in other ways.

Additionally, we will be using the Internet in the following ways to help the entire church to participate…

Before the trip

• Blog & share on social media where we’re going, why we’re going, and what we’ll be doing.
• Blog & share on social media to help raise financial support and receive the supplies we need to take with us.
• Blog & share on social media specific ways people can begin praying.

During the trip

• Share pictures on Facebook and Instagram to let people at home see what we are seeing.
• Blog daily updates to share what God is doing and how people can pray for us and the people we’re serving with.
• Respond to comments and questions people back home post to the blog and social media.

After the trip

• Share additional pictures, stories, and reflections on the blog
• Share video from the trip that was too big to upload/post while on the trip
• Thank family, friends, and everyone in the church for their prayers and support

I’ve done many of these things on the previous trips I’ve taken. So, many people have told me how they were blessed to be able to participate online with us. And I can’t overstate how much of a blessing it has been to those of us on the trip see the encouraging comments from people back home.

I can’t wait to bring our entire church with us to Haiti!

If you’d like to follow our trip, you can do so on the Journey Community Church blog.

Discuss

• How has your church used the Internet to enable the entire church to be a part of missions trips?
• What other ways can missions teams use the Internet?

Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication. 

steinbrueck.org

The post Using Technology to Take Your Whole Church on a Missions Trip appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.

So far Google has been pretty tight-lipped about the update, only providing a few somewhat generic bits of information.  The rest we’ve had to discern for ourselves.

So, what do we know so far and how will it effect you?

What We Know So Far:

• Search results from non-local IPs using local modifiers (e.g. “near Tampa”, etc) are not showing the same results as local IPs, especially in terms of showing the local 3 or 7 packs (the set of specifically local results that are set aside in the search results.  Click here for a full sized example.).  In other words, if you are in Topeka, KS preparing for a trip to Disney and search for “restaurants near Orlando, FL” you will probably not see the 7 pack.  However, once you arrive in Orlando and do the same search, you probably will.
• There has been a significant decrease in the number of keywords which return local 3 and 7 packs at all.  Two studies have shown about a 24% decrease.
• It connects local more with the same signals Google looks at for universal rankings.  Local search results used to be governed by their own signals to determine rankings.  Now local results are determined by many of the same signals as universal results.
• It connects more with Knowledge Graph, spelling updates, and synonyms.  Basically, Google better understands what you are searching for and may return instant answers via Knowledge Graph.  (Knowledge Graph is Google’s repository of information they have collected which allows them to answer people’s questions directly without directing people to other websites.)
• Google said that this new algorithm improves their distance and location ranking parameters.  In some cases, Google has also decreased the area they’ll use for their search results.
• Local directories, such as Yelp, have seen a bit of a boost, making it even more important to be listed in the major local search/review sites.
• There is less duplication comparing the local 3 and 7 packs and the rest of the results in the universal search.  Before, you may see many of the same websites in both the regular results and the local 3 and 7 pack.  Now, you’ll likely see different websites.

This is what we’ve seen so far, but this is pretty early on and there’s always a lot of movement for a while after a major update.  We may find additional changes as the dust settles.

What Does This Mean for You?

• Possible decrease in visibility: If your website showed up in the local 3 or 7 packs and not the rest of the universal results, you may see a decrease in visibility if your keywords are ones for which Google is no longer showing the local packs.  If this is the case for you, then you need to work to show up in the top universal results.  Also, if you had duplicate listings in the universal and local packs, you may now only have one listing.  There isn’t really anything you can do about that.
• If you are far from the city centroid, you may have more trouble ranking well.  It’s always been more difficult to rank well if you are on the outskirts of your town, now it will probably be even harder.  This is all the more reason for you to be working to get lots of positive reviews and ratings as well as building links and social shares to your website.
• If you have a lot of links to your website and have a well optimized website, you may see a boost in your local rankings.  Since these types of signals are now better connected to the local results, they will help more.
• You need to have listings in local directories/review sites.  Yelp and others have become even more prominent.  So, you need to have those listings.

We’ll continue to watch the effects of the update and let you know what we find as well as letting you know if Google reveals anything else.  If you’d like help with having more visibility in the search engines, let us know and we’d be happy to help.  You can request a free, no-obligation consultation here.

Share With Us:

• Have you seen a difference in your search rankings?

Kurt Steinbrueck

OurChurch.Com Director of Marketing Services

Kurt serves as OurChurch.Com’s Director of Marketing Services, bringing over 20 years of expertise in search marketing, and has developed numerous marketing services and served hundreds of churches, schools, ministries, and businesses.

He has authored more than 500 articles on the subject, contributing to platforms like the Christian SEO Guys blog and Church Marketing University, and is an active participant on LocalSearchForum.com.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kurt is an ordained minister, serving as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL, demonstrating his commitment to both faith and community. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from Georgia Southern University. He also holds a Specific Ministry Pastor Certificate and a General Pastor Certificate from Concordia Seminary.

www.ourchurch.com

The post Big Google Local Update – How Will It Affect You? appeared first on Christian Web Trends Blog: Church Websites, Design, SEO.