What is Truth?

by vernsanders on March 9, 2010

Right now we are running a survey at Creator’s website asking “How long has your church website had its current design.” I’ve been looking at that question for a few days now and thinking that it is important for a church to keep their website current.

But I’ve also been thinking about a church at which I served that kept a current website…their activities were updated regularly, the monthly newsletter was posted online when it was in the mail, etc. Yet the design of that website was so dated, and the navigation through the website was so convoluted, that the up-to-date information was, in a sense, wasted.

Like at lot of things that churches do, websites are often seen but not perceived. The people who update don’t see how it looks anymore, because their task is to do the update. The people who are in leadership don’t see how it looks anymore because they don’t go there…they’ve got a website because you’re supposed to have one, but they don’t understand, or don’t care, or don’t want to know, or don’t have the time to see what a website can do. The congregants don’t see it because they get all their information from the church secretary. And the community at large doesn’t see it…more than once…

And, worst of all, so many churches have a “website out of a box” that has no relation to the church’s character, corporate culture, or role in the community. Somebody installed it, then left, and the updating goes on…and on…and on…

Have you taken a good look at your church website lately? What do you see?

Leave a comment and let me know…and be eligible to win this week’s prize.

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Last Week’s Tweets

by vernsanders on March 8, 2010

Here…for your viewing pleasure, a compilation of the things I found fascinating last week…

  • Monday Morning Email 2day:Bob Burroughs w/mondo resources Newsletter: http://is.gd/9sW6g Direct2MME: http://is.gd/9sGSb #churchmusic
  • How did we get to social media? Blame it on the transistor radio. http://is.gd/9aMgj #socialmedia
  • Google Help? or Google Crack? Educational institutions and non-profits can use google tools for free… http://is.gd/9isVO
  • Top 10 Glissandos…click them all quickly 4 max effect http://is.gd/9l6hm
  • RT @brentpeak Is your church this focused? http://ow.ly/1czWy #leadership
  • RT @joehu18 Marketing Tips For Freelancers http://tinyurl.com/ydb96rf #marketing - churches can learn from this list too -
  • Hate Twitter? Blame it on the transistor radio. http://is.gd/9aMgj #socialmedia
  • RT @shawnwood - How quickly you adapt to change is in direct relationship to your ability to lead-> http://bit.ly/br0r43 #leadership
  • 3 ways to get church visitors to stick http://is.gd/95T1f #church #leadership
  • A Beautiful Idea: Artists (charitably) Changing the World http://is.gd/95VeP #charity #art
  • Monday Morning Email:Bob Burroughs w/mondo resources: http://is.gd/9sGSb #churchmusic #leadership
  • Addicted to social media? Blame it on the transistor radio. http://is.gd/9aMgj #socialmedia
  • To dream or to do…that is the question for churches-the answer, of course, is both http://is.gd/9A8v4 #leadership
  • It is easy to make a decision when you know what your values are…decide now! http://is.gd/9A9az #leadership
  • Robert Webber on Holy Week in the Early Church http://is.gd/2vy7Z #worship
  • the healthiest churches are churches that laugh the most http://is.gd/9AbhO #church
  • Must we label worship according to style? Read my “Conditional/Trademporary” http://is.gd/Av6t #worship #churchmusic
  • you just know the paint is coming…wait for it…amazing music video http://is.gd/9Aar2 thanks @bradlomenick #music
  • honorarium or fee? what do you charge? http://is.gd/9AcYP #leadership
  • 5 keys to transformational youth ministry http://is.gd/9AdTI #leadership
  • 10 ways to maximize your ministry or church anniversary http://is.gd/9AeAw #celebration
  • Addicted to social media? Blame it on the transistor radio. http://is.gd/9aMgj #socialmedia
  • 101 Great Choir Ideas: Wednesday Tip of the Week: http://is.gd/9AfXN Leave a comment, be eligible to win a prize #choir
  • 3 ways to get church visitors to stick http://is.gd/95T1f #church #leadership
  • 4 principles of authentic worship http://is.gd/8UuEn #worship
  • 5 Things you should be giving your followers http://is.gd/5sRKu Thanks Margaret Marcuson (@Marcuson)
  • 6 Must Haves as a Leader right now from @bradlomenick http://is.gd/8UsWp #leadership
  • 7 Questions you don’t want to hear from your pastor, and how to answer them: http://is.gd/8rLfB #leadership
  • 10 sample questions you need to ask your congregants before your next worship service: http://is.gd/8Yk7V thanks @DougLaw
  • Professional Development for Church Musicians - Who Pays? http://is.gd/9CCDE #leadership
  • Are you on #Facebook? Connect with Creator Leadership Network at - http://bit.ly/cIGPWE #leadership
  • A $ saved is a $ available for ministry: Save $40 on National Church Music Conference reg before March 15 http://is.gd/8swJX
  • Lighten up your Friday…I love this “world’s largest collection of musician jokes” http://is.gd/K69t #musicians #jokes
  • Bad Boss Pastors who Drive You Nuts: 20 traits (I’ve had to work w/ 13 of ‘em-how bout u?) http://is.gd/7jHtF #leadership
  • Conflict @ church? @hballou talks tips and helps: http://is.gd/7X94V #churchmusic #leadership
  • How to build DIY Anthems for those Sundays when you really need something quick and easy http://is.gd/716lP #churchmusic
  • Does your church choir need help? Develop The Choir in Modern Worship http://is.gd/6uM9N #churchmusic #leadership
  • Free issue of Creator magazine for church musicians and worship leaders http://is.gd/1tSOH
  • Sign up 4 MONDAY MORNING EMAIL - weekly e-zine especially for church #musicians & #worship leaders - http://bit.ly/1Qe9uH

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Professional Development for Church Musicians - Who Pays?

March 5, 2010

There is a famous line about the final gold medal sport in the Vancouver Olympics: I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out.
I kind of feel that way this week. When making  what I though was a helpful reference to the resources that the Creator website provides - an article that provided [...]

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101 Great Choir Ideas

March 3, 2010

Every Wednesday is tip day. Each week’s tip may be about a different topic, but one of the recurring topics will be 101 Great Choir Ideas. Here’s this week’s tip.

Create a facebook page and/or group for the choir. Use the page to let people know what the choir is doing, and the group pages to [...]

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Blame it on the Transistor Radio

March 2, 2010

As part of my goals for 2010, I am working on a new EBook. It isn’t the one I thought would follow The Choir in Modern Worship, but I am, in a sense, doing the new book on commission, because a friend of mine, whose opinion I respect, suggested that it would provide a greatly [...]

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Last Week’s Tweets

March 1, 2010

Here…for your viewing pleasure, a compilation of the things I found fascinating last week…
MondayMorningEmail: Mark Hayes on Music Ministry Qualifications: Newslttr: http://is.gd/8WETC Direct2MME: http://is.gd/8UuVy #churchmusic
RT @GuyKawasaki Traits of an indispensable person http://tr.im/P5r8 #leadership
Three characteristics of billionaires…got any of them? http://is.gd/8OQK4 #leadership
Paper craft castle in the middle of the ocean…4 years of work turns into something [...]

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How do you get visitors to stick around? Part 2

February 26, 2010

Last time I described my experience with visitor stickiness strategies at selected churches where I have served. To repeat: sticky is a term that is a good thing. For a church, to become visitor “sticky” has become a desirable trait. But, in my experience, most churches don’t know how to be sticky for visitors, [...]

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101 Great Choir Ideas

February 24, 2010

Every Wednesday is tip day. Each week’s tip may be about a different topic, but one of the recurring topics will be 101 Great Choir Ideas. Here’s this week’s tip.

Try to avoid conversation about non-essential things with your choir director or accompanist just before worship or a concert. Help promote an attitude of worship and [...]

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How do you get church visitors to stick around? Part 1

February 23, 2010

Sticky is a term that, in web 2.0, is a good thing. It is being applied to the intentional techniques used to try to keep people at a website. For a church, to become visitor “sticky” has become a desirable trait. But, in my experience, most churches don’t know how to be sticky for visitors, [...]

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Last Week’s Tweets

February 22, 2010

Here…for your viewing pleasure, a compilation of the things I found fascinating last week…

Are you on #Facebook? Connect with Creator Leadership Network at - http://bit.ly/cIGPWE #leadership
Vicki Carr wins Free MusiCalifornia Grand Prize with air & hotel from Creator Reverence http://is.gd/8rLfB #MusiCalfornia
How do you handle a crisis? Margaret Marcuson has 5 tips… http://is.gd/3qyR3 #leadership
Doug Lawrence has [...]

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