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CHURCH WEBSITE ASSESSMENT TOOL
The new assessment questionnaire to help church websites reach out into the community can now be inserted into any other website. All you need to do is copy/paste some CSS and Javascript code onto your own page:
http://ied.gospelcom.net/churchdesign-syndicate.php
This is what your page will look like:
http://ied.gospelcom.net/churchdesign-example.php
We will also be grateful if you can make use of our press release about this new resource, which also covers Internet Evangelism Day, scheduled for 29 April.
http://ied.gospelcom.net/publicity.php#news
Websites are also invited once again to add the Internet Evangelism Day diagonal banner, in the run-up to April:
http://ied.gospelcom.net/banner-linking.php
CHURCH SITE TEMPLATES
A ready-made template is often the best way for even a gifted webmaster to start building a new church website. Church Templates offer a small range of attractive free templates, and we note that they are valid XHMTL too:
http://churchtemplates.org/
MORE READY-MADE CONTENT FOR STUDENTS
EveryStudent.com are now offering churches and campus groups the option to have their own branded version of parts of the EveryStudent content, using a unique URL and other branding features. This is ideal for any college group, or a church based in a university town:
http://www.myeverystudent.com
VIDEO CLIPS
Faith Visuals are full of good things. Subscribe to their newsletter, and you will see no-pay downloads - the latest relating to the new William Wilberforce film:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/lyris/faithvisuals/archives/02-15-2007.html
They have also posted a range of appropriate video clips onto YouTube too, in order to reach a secular audience:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ChristianityToday
There is enormous potential in producing video shorts:
http://ied.gospelcom.net/video-outreach.php
COMMUNICATING WELL
Earl Creps writes about text messaging the preacher DURING the sermon:
http://guide.gospelcom.net/offsitelink?b07-creps
Does your church speak Christianese?
http://guide.gospelcom.net/offsitelink?b07feb-christianese
Both of these are features on the Monday Morning Insight column for church leaders. Not only does it address valuable issues, but there is the opportunity for feedback and discussion on each weekly column:
http://mondaymorninginsight.com/
SEARCH ENGINES
SNAP - you can add your website to SNAP search:
http://www.snap.com/about/partners_advertisers.php
It is also possible to add link preview popup graphics to external links on your site - see it demonstrated on Monday Morning Insight - follow any short feature from the homepage, and then hover on an external link:
http://mondaymorninginsight.com/
Importance of including a sitemap on your site:
http://www.wilsonweb.com/seo/ross-sitemaps.htm
Analyze a webpage, or block of text, using Topicalizer, to obtain a range of stats about word use and frequency, which will not only help you to improve your writing, but may also help in Search Engine Optimization based on keywords:
http://guide.gospelcom.net/offsitelink?b07feb-topicalizer
CULTURE
Movies are a great discussion point as we relate to the wider world. Learn to discern and use embedded redemptive meanings in their stories. Here are CT's 10 most redeeming films of 2006:
http://guide.gospelcom.net/offsitelink?b07feb-movies
SPORTS OUTREACH SITE
Athletes in Action have produced an outreach site based on American football, to link in with the Super Bowl:
http://www.beyondtheultimate.org/
