This past week the words to “The Master of the Wind” have kept running over and over in my head. Even when I slept it was as if I could still hear someone singing it and as soon as I was awake, it was on my mind again.

To some that might seem odd when everywhere we go right now there is nothing but Christmas music. In the malls,  and even in the grocery stores, the speaker systems blare out their versions of Christmas trying to get us to spend more time and money before we leave their store. Most places we hear the familiar “Jingle Bells”, “Here Comes Santa Clause”, or some jazzed up version of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” A few places my opt for more christian themed music, but those songs are not so loud or impulsive and may not get us to buy so they don’t play them so much.

Today, I ran across a link on one of my usual social media and design blogs that I read nearly every day and it was entitled “9 Ways to Connect With Santa on the Web.”  While that seems harmless enough, and even on Facebook the last few days a few apostolic friends have posted photos of their children, grandchildren, sometimes even themselves, sitting on Santa’s lap.

Yes, most of us know that Santa isn’t real, and its about the spirit of giving, and we only do this because the children are small, and any number of other excuses we tell ourselves. Yet, in this day of iPads, iPhones, Android Tablets, and other technological marvels, about the only mentions of Christianity is from YouTube, and even most of those have to do with Baby Jesus and Mary. Sure, we can see around town,online. and maybe on television somewhere, nativity scenes, camels, and wise men. But most of it is about hurry up and spend your hard earned dollars here, or Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, or some Christmas fantasy romance thing.

Where is Jesus?

Sure, he is present as a baby in a manger in some forms, but they are even trying to stop that. This year there was a lot of news articles about even changing the traditional Merry Christmas greeting to Happy Holidays instead, so as to not offend those who aren't Christian. They want to take Christ out of Christmas. And the sad thing is, we help them do it.

No, I am not saying we should stop buying gifts for each other, or shopping at this time of year, putting up a Christmas tree, or even going to see Santa. I don’t think we should shun the traditions of Christmas and act holier than thou. However, a big part of the problem is that we don’t proclaim Him as much as we should. I don’t think we intentionally hide him from those we work, play, or hang out with, but many times the message is hidden and only is open for discussion and worship in our churches.

We used to knock doors, hand out tracts, and even have the occasional service in the park or on a street corner. Yet, now, most of us don’t even share what we believe online. Facebook has opened all kinds of doors for many of us to reconnect with those from our youth and with new people all around the globe and yet many play games online instead of telling who they are and what they believe. Sharing  online really isn't that hard, and many tell us things that we wish we never knew about. We certainly didn’t need to know how many times a day someone changes their baby's diaper, but some people post that. Not really sure why they do but they do. Some people post where they are going to be at even given moment from the places they eat, to where they shop, play, and sometimes even photos of what they are eating or doing. Yet, where is Jesus?

Is He Still Just A Baby In Our Minds?

For many of us, God has done miraculous things and we should be eager to share it. Yet, here it is Christmas again and we are sending out cards, wrapping presents, getting ready to travel, and somehow he gets lost in the mix.

“I know the master of the wind. I know the maker of the rain. He can calm a storm, make the sun to shine again. I know the master of the wind.” Very powerful words. Those words were a reference to the disciples on the sea when a storm hit and fear entered in and they were afraid they were going to die. Jesus was there, he was just resting, and even though he was with them, he wasn’t WITH them.  At least not in their eyes. They didn’t see him as the healer, deliverer, or anointed one. Even though they had seen the miracles, in the time of the storm they forgot who he was and what he could do. He wasn’t a baby anymore. He was their strength, and yet, he was hidden away and wasn’t in their thoughts. They would have been lousy at that moment at being a witness. Had their been non-believers on the boat, they wouldn’t have believed in Jesus. There was no assurance that it was going to be okay since he was in the boat. They forgot for a moment who he was.

We all do that. At Christmas and Easter, he is on a lot of people’s minds, even those who do not believe in him. The rest of the time he is either a baby in a manger, an image on a crucifix, a swear word, or a reason for controversy. They don’t really know him.

Where is Jesus?

I mentioned earlier about the article, “9 Ways to Connect With Santa Online.” My question is where do we connect with Jesus?

Did you know that 8 out of 10 people spend at least two hours a day online, and most of us spend closer to five hours online. That could be through use of smart phones, computers, or other devices but five hours a day.

There are more than half a billion people on Facebook, and most of them know Jesus as simply a Christmas Baby or the man hanging on the cross at Easter. They don’t know him as the master of the wind. When they face trials and tests, they run to their friends, their alcohol, their drugs. They do not know how to connect with him. Why is that?

Where is the message?

On average, only one third of churches have an online presence. That is all churches and ministries, every faith, every belief. If we take that down to Apostolic or Pentecostal churches and ministries, the number drops significantly.

Recent studies show that only one out of fifty Apostolic or Pentecostal churches in America has any kind of presence online. When you compare that to how many people are online, even in our own churches, the number is staggering about how easily the message is getting lost.

And of those ministries who are online, most of them have used some sort of free website that cannot be found in search engines, and almost none of them have a page on Facebook.

Try this. Go to Google or Yahoo, the two most popular used search engines and type in “church” and the “name of your city.”

Is your church on the first page? Is it even listed?

Most churches and ministries that believe the message of salvation and baptism in Jesus name are not online. We preach we have the message. We preach about the revivals that God has promised. And yet, we somehow expect our pews to be full of people wanting the truth but we don’t reach them where they are.

Reach Them

If we do not go to them who will? How will they connect with Jesus, if we keep the message in our sanctuary and do not go tell them. Yes, many of us still tell our family, maybe our friends, and those who are hurting that we will pray for them. But do we tell them how to find him? Most of us are not even listed in the local newspaper and generally that is a free listing. How will they find him if they don’t know where to go? Jesus said go to into the highways and byways and compel them that my house might be full. The internet IS the information super highway. It reaches into homes, businesses, and even  phones, around the world. Nearly everyone has access to the internet, or knows someone who does. My mother just a little bit ago called me up to ask me what the weather is like in a certain town. She knows I can find out, online. She is even planning to take classes at the senior center in town because she knows if you are not online you are lost in the crowd.

Yet, somehow our message isn't there? Oh sure, it is there in the bigger churches, the well known ministries, but most churches either think it is too expensive or they just simply haven’t tried.

It really isn’t that hard to spread the message online. You don’t need a big budget. You do not have to be like the big boys and spend lots of money for online video streaming. Did you know that you can record your messages to audio and share it online free? It isn’t just about a way for those who decide to sleep in to have church. There are millions, even billions of people who haven’t heard that Jesus is not a baby in a manger.

Need Help?

In just a few days it will be a new year. Isn't it time your ministry was online?

Apostolicvision Design Services was created to help churches and ministries have an online presence, affordably. There are options for every budget. Contact us, and we can even tell you about many things available that are free of charge to spread the message of salvation online.

We are also on Facebook. “Like’ apostolicvision design services on Facebook and receive a discount on all graphic design services.

Connect them with Jesus

Isn't it time they know Why its Christmas? Isn’t it time the focus was back on Christ? Without a vision the people perish. Have a Merry Christmas!

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The last couple of weeks have been to say the least trying. I woke up in the middle of the night close to the end of October and blood was coming out of my mouth and nose. The very next day, someone I was very close to decided that I no longer was a welcome part of their life.

I struggled for days with my emotions and health. The blood kept gushing out of me. I would go to the ER and run tests and they would send me home saying they could not find anything. It didn’t make any sense. How could so much blood be coming out of me and no reason why? What could possibly be the reason I would lose the one person that meant a lot to me? Why was all this happening?

My first instinct was to think I must have surely did something wrong. I thought about Jonah, not sure why, and how he was tossed about on the sea with the other passengers on the boat and they all would have died had he not come clean with his refusal to do what God had asked. But, no, I was trying to do exactly what God had requested of me, so that didn’t make sense. Apparently, God was mad at me for something, otherwise that wouldn’t happen.

It is very easy in the midst of a trial to assume that God is the reason for our troubles. I mean after all, He is God. He has the power of life and death, surely he knows what is going on in our lives and as thus, he must be responsible for it.

I admit I was not happy with God. Vomiting up blood, taking away someone who mattered to me. How dare he? And yet, the more I began to reflect on it, the more I realized how selfish I was being. Sometimes, life just happens. I know, it does seem it happens to us more than other people, but still and all it is still life. And more than that, we still have God, even if we are sick and hurting.

Someone asked me if I had ever read the book of Job. I have been through quite a few battles in the last several years, and yes, even before that, I had read the book of Job. I found myself compared to him in many instances when the doctors could not explain how I lost so much blood, and then got leukemia, and then too high of red count. It really doesn’t make sense to our natural minds.

We like to think that this is the way God is testing us. Allowing the enemy to put us through the ringer and realizing that in the end Job had three times as much as he had before. It is a nice thought to believe that when this battle is over, not only will we have what we lost, but even more so. But what if that doesn’t happen. What if we never get the answer we are looking for? Are we still going to keep the faith?

Next week is Thanksgiving in America. The day we all sit around and stuff our faces and fall asleep in front of a TV blaring some football game. Or perhaps we play games with the relatives that normally we don’t even have time to talk to, let alone really spend time with like we used to.

We have gotten so busy with our day to day lives that many of our friends, and yes, even our own family go unnoticed. Sure, when they call, we say hi, be nice, and maybe even pray for them, but when it comes to spending time with them, well most of the time, we just find too much to do for that to happen.

So, we will get busy making a turkey, baking a few pies, perhaps actually peeling potatoes instead of mixing up those packaged ones. We might even find time to make a cheese ball, or perhaps that famous cranberry salad. But, I wonder when will we find time to be thankful?

Are we thankful for our company? Are we glad that our family is not somewhere in a foreign land being shot at by an enemy? Are we thankful that even though times are tough, we still have food we can prepare? Have our lives been so busy with things and ideas and people, that we have forgotten to take time to really be grateful and tell God thanks for his keeping power?

In many places around the world, the stuff we take for granted doesn’t even exist. And yet, in those places many people are thankful for whatever they can get. We wonder why they have so many miracles and we hear stories of amazing things,but maybe it is just as simple as saying thanks to God.

In the story of the ten lepers, Jesus healed them, but only one came back to thank him. The one that did was made whole.

We don’t often think too much about leprosy, but those with it were outcasts, no one visited them, no one allowed them to come around the dinner table. At times, they might be missing fingers or toes, perhaps the skin would flake off on whatever they were doing. They could have even been missing an arm, leg, or even their nose.

Yet, they went away and did what Jesus commanded. They went to show themselves to the priest, but the one that came back was made whole. He didn’t have the scars, he may have been missing an arm, and that was back. The bible says he was whole from that very hour. All because he said thanks.

It is an amazing concept. Having a thankful heart can change our very life. I wonder this year, if instead of being in such a hurry to grab the yams, or perhaps that turkey leg, we can stop for a few minutes and find something in our life to be thankful about? It could change our lives!

In honor of Thanksgiving I have included a FREE downloadable Twitter page for anyone who is interested. The dimensions are 1216 x 983 pixels.

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Sometimes, the phrase ‘Identify yourself' can strike fear into even the toughest individual. Usually it means that we are in a place where we do not belong.

A flashlight may shine into a dark room where there is a rustle in the background and the voice may come from a police officer, or perhaps the voice may come from a military aircraft when we have not let them know why we are in restricted airspace, and then there is a reason  to fear. However, many times, it is just a question that people wonder about us. Who are we? What are we about?

It is easy as a ministry to just wear the tag christian or perhaps religious, but there is such a varied mix of spiritual ideas and theologies that sometimes,  no one knows what we are. That isn’t a good thing in most situations.  Our beliefs can be so varied, yet in our hearts and minds we know what we believe but sometimes we are either afraid to tell anyone, or perhaps we do not know how.

Individual spirituality is very important. We have to know what we believe without question, otherwise we are just a boat on the ocean with no engine and no oars to help us get where we are going. Stranded, just riding the waves. It is a scary thought, especially if you are in the ocean.

Having a church with no identity is the same way. Oh, I know everyone wants to be identified as a christian, but in the world we live in, we need to be sure and let them know what we actually believe, who we are, and where we can be found.

Yet, most churches don’t have an online presence of any kind. Not on Facebook, not a website, not even a church logo in most cases. So, which is more important? A logo or a website?

A Logo or a Website?

I thought about that a lot the last few days. Which really is more important? With a website you can show people what you you are about, how to find you, and contact information. A logo though is your brand. It is how you want to be identified. Maybe you are Pentecostal? Maybe you are Apostolic? While they are both very similar there are differences. There are a lot of Pentecostal churches that are independent and do not belong to an organization, not that I think an organization is the most important thing, but there are also Pentecostal churches that practice the Trinity faith. I don’t really get that one since Pentecost goes back to Peter, and he told them exactly how to baptize, but that is for another blog.

There are also differences between Apostolic churches, but most of those have to do with personal convictions and standards. However, does your city, your community, your neighborhood know who you are or even where you are?

How are you identified?

A logo can make the difference. It is a brand, the same way McDonalds is different from Burger King, the way AT&T is different from Verizon. We know what we are going to get because of the branding.

Your church or ministry is the same way.

When they see your logo they know about you even if they have never entered your church. They have heard about you already. They know your brand.

So make sure your brand is something that you are ready to be identified for a long time. It is how people are going to know you. If you say the word Nike, everyone knows they make tennis shoes. If you say Boeing, you know they make aircraft. And Kodak is known for? Exactly. You know without even having to think about it. So, what is your brand? How do you want to be known? A cross? A flame? Something else in mind?

Here are a couple ideas for you to think about.

If you are interested in defining yourself, creating a brand, an identity, contact us. We can help. Any of the above logos, for a limited time we will offer for a one time price of $49. We will edit them with your church name, ministry, or organization. If you are interested in something more unique, when you contact us mention the phrase “Identified with Christ” and we will take 30% off your logo design order. Hurry though, this is a limited time offer. Identify yourself!

Recently I have become surprised at the lack of desire for many churches to get involved in online ministry.  Maybe they do not understand that we are in the end of days and we must do anything we can to reach the lost.

Or perhaps they have heard so many negative stories about the internet that they have decided there is no one worth reaching online? I really do not know but somehow we have to reach the lost.

Jesus taught the disciples to become shepherds and in a parable he described going after that one lost sheep rather that just accepting those that were already in the sheepfold. Yet in seems in today’s churches, we are content with those that we have and don’t seem necessarily interested in reaching beyond our four walls to win those that are not already inside the gate.

There also seems to be a great lack of compassion and desire to extend a hand to those that are hurting or have strayed from the flock. I have heard comments myself that ‘they know where the church is.’

It seems we have forgotten the most important commandments. Love the Lord thy God with all they heart , and love thy neighbor as thyself. Something has to change or not only will those who are hurting be lost forever, but so might we.

Jesus in a parable taught about being given talents, and one servant hid his talent because he knew if he lost what he had, the master would be very upset. However, the master was very wroth with him because instead of sharing what he had, even if he lost it, he became so fearful, and so content in keeping it to himself that he didn’t even try to share what he had.

Have we become like that unjust servant? Are we keeping the message to ourselves? Are we so apathetic about what we believe that we do not think it is important to even be nice anymore?

I was in the hospital recently, and I know there were several people who were asked to come see me by my mother, and yet, only one person of those she invited came. Why is that? Did they think I no longer believed in God because I do not hang out with them? Was it that they were just so busy with life that they couldn’t talk a few moments out of their day to reach out to a friend? Or is it just that they didn’t care at all.

I know some would say well they prayed for me. I do appreciate that, but how is that not like the Levite in the good Samaritan story Jesus taught about? He too was on his way to church and didn’t have time to reach out to the man that was wounded by thieves and robbers. I am sure he prayed for him but his work of God was more important than reaching out to the hurting. However, I have already forgiven them. It doesn’t matter that they didn’t come. I am not the judge.

So what is the reason really that we do not seem to reach out to others anymore?

Do we not know how? Are we blinded by so much of life that we just don’t see the way to do it anymore? Are we just lazy? Do we think it costs too much to reach into our community? Why don’t we use the tools we have already? Why are our churches filled with empty seats?

Have we lost the vision?

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

The suggestion that we have no vision or we have lost the burden makes many of us hot under the collar. How dare you suggest that I don’t care about people! I go to church, I say my prayers, I give to missions.

Somehow, many think that what we do on a church pew determines the validity of our Christianity. We think that because we are active in our church that we have no other function to being a christian. Did not Jesus say to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature? Have we really figured that because we drop a dollar in an offering bucket that somehow we are covered when it comes to reaching the lost? “I gave to missions because someone has to go win those overseas, but I cannot.” We think missions stops there. The vision doesn’t though.

On a daily basis we see more people than the average missionary sees. In our jobs there are people who once came to our church. At Wal-Mart we bump into our neighbors but somehow we no longer seem to act as if we have time for each other. How have we become so busy in our lives that the vision of reaching the lost, the hungry, the needs of our generation doesn’t seem to matter anymore.

I don’t know how to do it

The way we used to do it still works. You talk to them, you invite them for coffee, or perhaps you visit a sick person in the hospital. I don’t know if anyone hands out tracts anymore, or even knocks doors other than Mormons and Jehovah’s witnesses, but why don’t we? Are we afraid of what people might say? Or has the message lost its impact on our own lives that we just don’t share anymore?

Well, if there was an easier way I would do it. Yet, there is and many don’t even try. What am I talking about?

Did you know there are half a billion people on Facebook? That is a number that none of us could count to by mouth. And even if we could it would take years to do so. Most of us, whether we admit it or not, are on Facebook. But we only upload photos, or play inane games, and we do not somehow see it as a witnessing tool for God.

Yet, it takes less than five minutes to set up a page for your church or ministry to be online on Facebook. Sure, you may need to add some pretty photos or other information later, but it doesn’t take a lot of work to make an active Facebook page for your church. If you can play Farmtown, you can get your ministry’s message on the most popular social network in the world.

How about having your own church website?

We cannot afford a church website

You can, if you would only investigate that as a positive influence in your community. Most designers give discounts to churches and charities, but even still there are free options available online. The problem seems to be that everyone thinks it is so hard, or out of their budget that they are content in keeping things the way they always do. Yet, they miss huge amounts of potential saints because they simply think they can’t.

How long has it been since you advertised in your local newspaper? Did you know that in most newspapers they have a special section for churches or religion and generally,  funeral homes pay for ads that include a local church register? You don’t even have to pay, you just have to ask to be included. Do people even know where your church is? Do they know you exist?

Well, we are in the phone book.

Four out of five people turn immediately to the internet when trying to find a business or church. If you have a phone number chances are you are on the internet on a search engine, but your content is buried under the other churches because they have a website. I dare say if you searched for a church online with your zip code, you would find that nearly every church in town but your own has a site of their own. Why don’t you?

This is the age of technology and we don't think twice to using our cell phones, or emailing and yet, the most important thing in our life, being a christian, gets buried because we simply think that we don’t have what it takes to share. Or is it that we want to keep it all to ourselves?

Pastors, you preach every week to those on your pews, but even the time you spend writing, studying, or whatever you do to get prepared, those same notes and thoughts could be in a blog online reaching those who never will hear elsewhere. Are they important to you? Or is it someone else's job?

Blogs typically are free. You just sit and write just the same as you do in your documents when you are preparing a message. You might even have your church copy the messages to DVD for sale. You could be uploading those messages in a podcast that will reach people you may never see. Yes, there are free options for that as well. And even if you do not record your messages, most cell phones have a mic built in where you can record messages, your computer has a built in mic and recording potential, and there are lots of free software options. I even know of one podcast option where you can call a phone number, talk and record, and it automatically uploads your message online.

So, yes, even the most computer illiterate person can use the technologies of the internet to reach to others. Not knowing how isn’t an excuse anymore.

Catch the Vision

We just need to catch the vision of the lost.

What mother or father, if their house caught on fire, even at their own peril would not run into the rooms and try and get their children out? Yet, our world is destined for hell and we have so many ways to reach them, and we don’t.

Jesus said to go into the highways, hedges, and get the halt, the blind, the lame and bring them that my house might be full. We are to reach the world, and we even display graphics in our church that spout out our dogma of the whole gospel to the whole world, and yet, millions don’t know. I dare say that even your next door neighbor doesn’t know what you believe, Pastor, but he could, if you were online spreading the gospel. And it is free.

If you need help catching the vision contact us. We can tell you many other ways to share your message before it really is too late. God Bless You!

This past week I was laying in a hospital bed recovering from surgery and I decided to turn on one of my favorite online apostolic video broadcasts. I have made a habit of watching the services from this particular website for several years and have been very blessed.

However this past week it was different. I tried to tune in as usual but they had decided to change the video format and it just wasn’t as good. The video content was choppy. It kept timing out. A couple of times I had to reboot my computer because it froze the screen, and truthfully I started wondering if I was going to be able to watch them anymore.

The pastor came on and mentioned that they were doing some updates to their website and in trying to keep up with technology they had decided to host their video feeds elsewhere, and were planning to have the services broadcast live for iPhone and iPad. I sent them an email about how degraded their content was, but they never responded back. I am hoping that they can fix it, but I have to say that their tech and design people have made a huge mistake in changing the usual windows media format for their online webcast. And this is the reason why…

Breaking down the iPad

I realize that right now iPads are all the rage. It is the newest ‘cool’ technology. On street corners, in bus terminals, on airplanes, and even in some church pulpits, the usual laptop, paper notes, or other formats have rapidly been changed to those who have this idea that the newest toy is the best. The majority of them are also the same people who have bought each new version of iPhone, Macbook, or other apple product. There is even an ideology that somehow having apple products that you have the best there is and many are willing to pay the high prices multiple times even when the technology hasn’t changed that much. It has become a church-like social group or perhaps even a cult.

Lets break it down though. From a design standpoint the iPad looks cool. It is lightweight, easy to hold in your hands, and already developers have made hundreds of applications to work on it. That is applications, not software, because unknowingly to many, the iPad is not a computer.

I realize some would disagree and they have their reasons, but from a technology standpoint the iPad is missing many of the key elements that would make it a must have for most people.

First, there is no keyboard. Yes, it does have a touch screen keyboard, but the average person needs the feel of the keys in order to type quickly. So, for most it would not be any good for any sort of data entry.

Second, there is no stylus, or even software for drawing available unless you want to use just your finger, and as a designer, that just wouldn’t cut it. You cannot do precise enough edits or touch ups with your fingertip regardless of what videos they show you. There is also no handwriting ability, even without recognition software. You can do a better job on some android phones than you can with an iPad.

Third, there is no video or camera component built it. Almost every computer you buy now has a built in webcam whether you buy a desktop, laptop, or netbook. Even the newer generation of televisions are coming out with built in video capabilities so that you can talk to family, friends, or perhaps do business and do a live video fee. Even most cell phones have built in cameras and video cameras that can take high resolution photos for you to share. Yet, somehow in the design process of the iPad they didn’t think a webcam was necessary.

The list could go on and on from no usb port without a special adapter you have to purchase separately, no hardware to even play a video on the iPad unless you download it online. Simply put, the iPad is just a reader with games, and internet capabilities. Its usability factor is just not there for most people. There will come a time when handheld touchscreen computers will exist and be a part of our everyday lives, but for now, the iPad is just a fad. It isn’t even a beta version of what is coming though, by then we will speak to the computer like they do on science fiction shows.

The souls factor of iPad

If you are still reading you may be wondering what all the tech perspective has to do with whether or not your church website should be available using iPad technologies.

With the way technology and the internet is changing, even the most ugly, poorest designed websites are live online, even on your current cell phone if you have a data plan.

While it seems nearly everyone wants an iPad or iPhone, the truth is not very many people actually have one. Number one, anything apple makes is very expensive for the average person.

Right now the price for even the cheapest iPad is about $500. If you are an apple fan you can get the brand new MacBook Air for around $1250, or you can use a windows based computer and get the same speed, bigger hard drive, bigger screen, and much more software for about $600. If you are not a tech person, you can get other laptops that you can do your emailing, social networking, video watching, etc. for around $350. If you go with a netbook, you can cut about $150 off that price. We are in a recession and most people cannot afford $500 for a reader and another $6-800 for a cell phone.

According to Fortune Magazine last week, there were 8 million iPads sold in 2010. There were 9.5 million iPhones sold. These figured are worldwide, not just U.S.

As for Windows-based computers, there was 240 million Windows 7 computers sold. I am not a fan of Windows 7, I still prefer Vista and XP, but the fact remains that the huge majority of people are still buying Windows-based computers.

If you go into a coffee shop probably one person out of everyone in there will have an iPad, unless you are in a tech region. Most libraries and schools still use Windows computers,and some are open to the general public who may not have a computer.

I have never in my life seen so many people begging for help on the street and I can guarantee you that they do not have an iPad or they would be selling it for food or to pay bills. We are in a hard recession, and the likelihood is that in the next year it will turn into a full blown depression. People are losing their homes, their health, and divorces are on the rise from so much stress in just day to day life. I hardly think that any of them would give up their bed for an iPad.

I know it sounds as if I am jealous of iPad owners. I am not. I have one. I won it in a design contest. I am thinking about selling it though because honestly it really isn’t useful for me. The Peek with its texting and email capabilities is more useful for me than an iPad. And it is much more affordable.

So, back to my point. You shouldn’t let your web designer create your church site, or produce your media on a format that most people do not have. I realize they are just trying to keep current but at what price?

That soul that is homebound doesn’t have an iPhone or iPad to pull out on Sunday and hear the word of God. That saint who used to come but has had a run of bad luck isn’t going to look for his church on an iPad. That missionary in a far off land is not going to grab his iPad when it is time for church in America. That lost junkie in the boroughs of New York is not going to hear the message of God told on an iPad. He may be lucky if he even has any computer.

The bible says to ‘go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.’ That used to seem like such a monumental task, but now because of computer café’s widespread affordable internet, knock off computers even those in remote areas of Peru, or the Deserts of the Sudan, or perhaps even in the Kremlin or White House have access to the truth. It is our job to tell them, and now we have the ability to do so without having to ‘go.’

It cost less than an airplane ticket to broadcast your service live online. Actually it is probably closer to the cost of what you will have for lunch on Sunday afternoon. The message and technology has made it finally really reachable to the uttermost parts of the world.

Again, according to Fortune Magazine, statistics say that apple computer products; cell phones, laptops, iPads only has a 25% market share of the United States.

But no, lets design for the 8 million using the iPad and forget about the 7.5 billion who don’t. Without a vision the people perish.

Would Jesus have used an iPad? Don’t design for the fad. Use today’s technology to preach the old fashioned gospel.

There are not a lot of Christian Twitter Backgrounds available. I have decided over the coming months to try and offer at least one background a month, FREE to my blog followers, and to those who ‘like’ my Facebook page.

As promised,  today I am offering a FREE Twitter Background.

Based on Isaiah 9:6, this background is ready to go. You can either download it in .png or .jpg format but either should fit on your Twitter page. The dimensions are 1216 x 983 pixels.

Show your spirit or that you are a Christian on Twitter. This could also be used at Christmastime, as it is a very common theme for Christmas.

You can share it with your friends if you like, and tell them about the Facebook page, blog, and website. God Bless You!

Download

• jpg version
• png version (higher quality)

If you haven’t heard of Twitter by now, come out of the cave and into the sunlight.

According to recent Twitter statistics, there are 160 million people on Twitter. With 370,000 new people joining each day, the likelihood is that almost everyone you meet is already on there.

If not, you can pretty sure guarantee that the majority of your church 40 years and younger is active on Twitter, either by cell phone, website, or some other application on the internet.

Is it for your ministry?

Yes, it can be. Your ministry or church can keep your members, friends, and even new prospects up to date with happenings in your ministry with a ministry Twitter account.

Special events or announcements, prayer requests, scheduling changes, special offers on CDs, or books, and many more uses to numerable to mention are available to all of us through 140 characters on Twitter.

You can also update your website or Facebook page at the same instant either by the Twitter page, an email or text, or even with applications that are available to most cell phones. Share photos, share links to other sites or events, share your burden, free and easy. It can definitely benefit your ministry.

However, there are a few suggestions or guidelines I would make in having a Twitter account for your ministry.

The Basics

I cannot stress this enough. Have a separate account for your ministry than you do for your family and personal thoughts.

Too many times between family and friends we may say things, that will have an effect on other’s perception of our character. We may not even do it intentionally, but sometimes, things are said that we did not mean, or we may accidentally post a link to some site, and have it wrong or there could be something on part of the page, and people may get the wrong idea.

Keep your ministry and your personal life separate.

That being said here are a few more tips:

• Don’t make claims you cannot back up. It will be on the internet forever.
• Do not post photos that you wouldn't want someone to see. Again, it is online forever.
• Don’t become all holy on Twitter. Be who you are all the time, not just show how righteous you are online. People will find out you are a hypocrite.
• Focus on sending tweets that are vital. Do not ‘forward’ or ‘retweet’ every kitty link that comes your way. People will stop following you.
• Do not use Twitter to criticize the speaker at a conference. Use it for encouraging, uplifting comments. Remember the person you criticize has a Twitter account too.
• Don’t tweet during your own sermon.
• Remember Twitter is just a tool like many others available to help spread the Truth of God’s word.
• Don’t follow everyone who follows you. You will not be able to keep up with everything everyone says. Ministries should be leaders more than followers.

There are many more tips I could write but I will cover some of those in future blog postings. I may also offer FREE Christian twitter backgrounds, so stay tuned.

A Few Terms

Twitter ID – The name you choose for your profile. Without one, you cannot participate in Twitter.

Tweet – Your message sent out to your followers in only 140 characters. It is also live for anyone to see on your Twitter page unless you change your privacy settings.

ReTweet – (RT) Essentially it is forwarding what someone else has said to your followers. However, the 140 character restriction applies, so it may be hard to add your own take on the saying.

Twitter Page – Your own personal page that will have a small bio, your most current tweets, your lists, and people you follow.

List – You have the option of categorizing your followers by topics. For instance I have lists for friends, networking, designers, church, and other lists. My followers are categorized in the lists in how they relate to me. It can be more than one list, but it helps you keep track of who is who.

Followers – People who have decided to get updates on what you write. You have the option of deciding if they can follow you, and if you want to follow them.

Direct Message – (d) Sending a message direct to one person and bypassing everyone else or your Twitter page. You must be followers of each other for this to work.

@ – You have to use the @(TwitterID) to reply, reference, or otherwise include specific individuals in your tweets.

And…

Since the inception of Twitter, many other words have been crafted using the Tw prefix. Tweeple, TwitPic (for photos), Twittonary, and many more. However, if you start adding Tw to all your words, “Twust me, you will look like an twidiot.” LOL

These are just a few guidelines and tips for using Twitter. If you are looking to make your church website match your Twitter page, or perhaps you just want a custom Twitter background to display the message of salvation, contact us, we can help!

You have a ministry, you feel the calling, and now you need to get an online presence. You know you want a website, but what about a domain name?

Our first instinct is not to worry about a website when we first get our ministry going. However, we live in a much different era than our grandparents, and being online is  becoming increasingly more important. 

In the past most churches were started by door knocking, a preacher who had a burden for a city, and  some sort of place hold services. We met people on the job, on the streets, in the supermarkets, and told them about God, but they came to know him, and us, by coming to church.

While for the most part that is still true, we are a society that wants information now. We don’t want to wait, and frankly there are so many similar names for churches these days, the church down the street may have a similar name as your church, and they may not believe the way you do.

There are varying levels of what Pentecost is about, and depending on the particular church, it can be a big shock if you expect holy rollers, and find that Pentecost is just the name on the building. And did you know that there are apostolic catholic churches? So, just putting up a banner, or even just saying we are the church by the ice cream shop is not enough anymore.

However, most of our world is online now. And most of us do research, at least somewhat, before we even buy furniture, let alone determine our soul’s destiny. We want to know what we are getting into. The best way to do this is to have a website for your ministry. Not only can you differentiate between who you are, and who the church down the block is, but you can more easily be identified with others who believe the same, you can let people know what to expect, you can sell books and media, and most importantly, you can give them the best directions with a map. You do not have to say our church is by the ice cream store followed by a myriad of directions.

Choosing your domain name is just as important.

The fact is, millions of domains are sold each day for websites that may never happen, as well as those that are created and uploaded. And if your ministry already has a name, then most likely you want that name for your website.

If you get lucky, or have purchased a domain when you first got a burden, then you are set. Your email can be pastor@yourdomainname.com instead of pastor122344@wherever.com.

That already makes you more identified with your church on your business cards, phone book, newspaper, or just in person. It lets everyone know that is how you are identified. They have your email and so they know you are a pastor, and when they have a need that they believe you can help with, whether it be advice, a funeral, wedding, or anything of spiritual needs, they have a way to get in touch with you directly, and that will influence their decision on who to contact.

Plus, whether you have a full blown website with media downloads, bible studies, and just about anything else you can imagine, or just one page with your church name, address, and phone number, people can find you on their cell phone or computer by going to that domain.

It makes it much easier for them to FIND YOU.

You do have to realize though that the domain name you want, may already belong to someone else. This happens quite a bit even to large businesses, let alone other ministries that are similar.

So what then?

The simplest idea is to add another word to your domain name. Instead of just using churchname.com, add thechurchofyourcity.com or other variations. Sometimes, you can get lucky by using just the initials of your church name followed by your city name, and it would be easy for anyone to remember.

Another option is changing the first level domain. First level domains are the ones we all know. The .com, .net, .org, etc. are called first level domains. Typically, most churches, ministries, and organizations opt for the .org on their domain names, but these days most any of the others are also options you can consider.  The top three everyone has heard of, but there are many other options available, from .cc, .us, .info, .me, .tv, and many more. Some domains may cost a different amount to use, but it won’t take long that people know your domain name and identify you with it.

Tell them how to find you, and in doing so, help them find Jesus!

Want to see if your chosen domain is available? You can check out here on godaddy. Click here! I choose godaddy.com because I have found them to be easy to work with, affordable, and reliable in my own dealings.

That's right! Between Sept 1, 2010 and Oct 31, 2010,  you have the chance to win a FREE website for your ministry, church, or non-profit. There are many churches, evangelists, and even apostolic musicians and artists that have no online presence. Maybe you want a special website for your church youth group or choir?

In celebration of our new website redesign, as well as the launch of this new blog, we are offering a FREE website and hosting for one year for the lucky winner.

We have also launched a Facebook page as well, where you can find out more information. Also by liking our page on Facebook you can receive a discount on all your graphic design needs.

We are also offering other prizes for those that enter the contest.

It isn’t hard to enter. Only three real steps to being on your way to having a professionally designed website for your church or ministry.

1. Join the apostolicsconnected group on Facebook.
2. “Like” apostolicvision design services on Facebook.
3. And, submit a 30 second to two minute digital video of why your church or ministry needs a website; or a video describing how a website can help ministries, churches, and non-profits to grow.

That's all it takes.

Maybe your church or ministry already has a website, but you know of a small church that needs one? You are welcome to give your prize to them, however it cannot be sold, and the website will be started in November, so we will have to get the contact information as soon as possible.

Enter the contest today and let’s make a greater impact for God online!

Click here for Official Rules & Prizes!

I was struck today with some of the reasons that it is important that ministries have some sort of online outreach. I hope you will allow me some of your time , and a little personal reflection to explain how important it is to reach people where they are.

While working on a project, I tuned into The Pentecostals of Alexandria, and the gentleman speaking there brought up one of his friends in a wheel chair and proceeded to tell a little bit of her story.

Her unrealized dreams, her hopes, and her plans that were struck down by some situation in her life to where now she is bound to a wheelchair. Her plans and her story were changed due to circumstances out of her control, and yet she came to the realization that she could be a witness regardless of what happened in her own life. A couple weeks ago while she was giving a bible study in the center she attends because of her disability, two of her friends began to speak in other tongues. She reached people where they were.

While I am not in a wheelchair, I have had my own experiences with health issues, and not being able to attend church always. The feelings of abandonment, loneliness, and lost feeling would grow increasingly worse as you feel isolated from others and God, but the circumstances are out of your control. At times, laying in a hospital bed, other times spending time in front of my computer at home, I was encouraged and my life was made different because of the witness I found online.

I wasn’t always this way. I used to be one of the first people to church. I was an evangelist, a Sunday school director, and grew up on church pews. It was all I knew. But let a little adversity come along in life, and you find out who is real in your life and who isn’t. You really find out how strong you are and how much you can endure without the fellowship of the saints and an encouraging word.

It is sad that people will walk out of our lives when we are facing hardship, but it is a fact of life. I have seen it happen to others, and I have experienced it myself.

I grew up in church, so I do have maybe more strength than some, but the fact remains I too feel alone and lost when I don’t have a place to call my church. I know how it feels to wonder where God is.

And what about those who have never heard the message one time?

They too go through the same struggles we all do, and yet, they may not have anyone to be a witness, or to give them that needed hug. What are they supposed to do? Drown their disappointments and sorrow in a bottle and drugs?

Let’s face it. We don’t knock doors like we used to. We don’t hand out tracts at the supermarket, or set up some sort of witness at the mall. Most of us make a conscious decision to not wear our church on our sleeve or our face, and many people we meet on a daily basis, or even work with will never know we are a Christian. Are we ashamed of God? Are we afraid of being identified because someone will think we are strange? We don’t want anyone thinking we are crazy. God forbid.

And yet, even for those who still make the effort to be a witness on a daily basis, even then there are many in our cities and communities that we do not reach. It isn’t that we are not trying, we just don’t have the time, or the ability to reach them all.

I live in an area where there is around 100,000 people in a thirty mile radius, and there is ONE spirit filled church in over 100 miles. There was a time when everyone in the valley knew where this church was, but now, not many people could find it if you asked them on the street. Some people have moved away, some have just quit attending, and still others, well, they have their reasons.

There is no way that all these people can be reached when none of the other area communities even have a church, most of them don’t even have a family in the area that believes the truth. So, how do we reach them?

We have to use the tools available to all of us.

Did you know that there are more than half of a billion active users on Facebook?  Latest statistics say that Twitter has more than 100 million, and on a daily basis, 50 million plus tweets go out to the internet to friends, followers, and other people.

Four out of five people online (2007) go online in search of businesses, churches, or other needs instead of word of mouth, phone books, or local directories. I am sure by now the number is even greater than that. I haven’t even covered texting or cell phones, and only God knows how many of those there are.

And yet, most Apostolic-Pentecostal churches, evangelists, missionaries, and ministries do not have some sort of online presence. Why?

I would dare to say more than half of your congregation is on Facebook or Twitter on a daily basis, but your community doesn't even have a map to your church, even if they know that you are there.

So are you reaching them?

I know we can’t all be like the POA. I know we do not have budgets that can hire professional designers to make us some flashy site. Most of us think we could never afford to broadcast live over the internet, even if it meant saving our cities.

And in some respects that is true. But really if you check into it, the price isn’t as great as you would imagine. Maybe you aren’t very tech-savvy and just do not know how to do it. You would do more if you only knew how or if you had the time.

There are solutions that are much simpler than you would imagine. There are affordable, even free ways to have an online impact that maybe you have not thought about. You just have to be willing to reach out and ask for help, or do a little research and before you know it, you will be touching lives that you did not even know existed.

Reaching into homes, offices, cell phones; on the streets, in places you never dreamed you could be a witness.

Jesus said for us to “Go Ye into ALL the World and preach the Gospel to every creature.” That sounds impossible, but with the knowledge and technology we have now, it is possible to reach everyone, WHERE THEY ARE. “Go into the highways, byways, hedges, and get the halt, the lame, those who may never hear?”

Are you ready to reach them? To reach outside the four walls of your building, your comfort zone, your own perceptions?

Reach them where they are.

Are you using all of the available tools to reach the people in your community? Are you an evangelist who travels the world and you know that the message isn’t getting to everyone you would like it to? Do you have a church choir, and love the way Sister Susie sings that one song, but she doesn’t have it recorded?

There are all questions we should be asking ourselves when we sit down to determine how to do a better job at reaching the lost. With the technology available today, it is a shame if we don’t use more of the options available.

We have all heard of tape ministries. Most of us would purchase cassettes at conventions or even take home tapes from the message the pastor preached last Sunday. But in most instances, there were very valuable messages, and insights that have been lost because we did not really put enough effort into that ministry; it was mostly just an afterthought. Yet, a tape recorder, a few blank cassettes, and hook it up to a microphone and we had a way of reaching those that didn’t make it to church that day.

Now, I realize not every message is worth documenting for posterity, but the bible says “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Even those Bible Studies where it was all we could do to keep awake, had some importance, but most of them are lost in some box and we have no idea where to find them.

Having a tape ministry was more than just something to add to our already overburdened church, it was a history of what transpired, and for those of us who still have a few tapes lying around, and a way to play them, we can still glean inspiration from those messages of old.

It is too bad we did not use that tool to its full effectiveness.

Many years ago, God gave insightful messages to my late pastor, Peter Shebley, involving the end time, and things that would transpire. Usually, the church was packed out during the messages about the mark of the beast, black helicopters, and how we could be persecuted, but it was a message that not many wanted to hear. Yet, even today, someone mentioned a friend talked to them about the earthquakes, wars, and all that is going on us right now, and said they wish they could hear Bro. Shebley talk about the end time again. The sad thing is, even though I am sure someone has a few tapes stored somewhere, they are not available to those who really want to hear the messages. The message has been lost.

I remember several times in the past of discussions with the pastor, and different ones would say, we need to have you write a book, or perhaps record it on cassette or video, so that when the time comes, we can know what to do. There was even a time or two where his relatives started to do something like that, and yet it never happened for some reason.

I still remember portions of those messages, and sometimes in my closeness with my pastor, we would discuss certain aspects, but for the most part, those messages have been lost, because the value of documenting those topics was not fully seen, or at least not enough effort was made.

My aunt wrote a book in the final days of her life, and labored even though she was gravely ill. She was a pastor’s wife, a minister and great preacher in her own right, and would also do revivals in her younger years, and there were some topics that she felt were important for people to hear, or read about, even after she was gone. They made tapes of some of her final messages she preached,and they are sitting in a box somewhere at my parents, but her anointing and her fervor is greatly missed because she is gone, and the messages are misplaced. The book she wrote, and even left funds to publish in her will, has never been completed or published and it sits somewhere, collecting dust. Again, the message has been lost.

What I wouldn’t do to be able to sit down with either of them, and talk about what is happening in my own life, let alone what is happening in the world around us. It is heartbreaking really.

I preached a message once called, “Memorial Stones.” In it, I talked about the children of Israel when they crossed into the promise land, were told to leave behind twelve stones beside the Jordan river, and when asked what those stones meant, they were to tell about the victories, the trials, and wars and about how God delivered. I am fairly certain those stones are gone, but in my message I tried to explain to others how important it was that we left behind memorials for all the things God had done for us so that those that come after would find something to draw strength from. 

I still believe that today. Sometimes, the message gets so confusing in our world today, and while we still have the bible to draw from, there are times when we all wish we could hear someone preach one more time, or we could talk to them, or even read what they left for us to help us find direction. Yet, much of that message has been lost, because we did not realize how important it was.

Now, I realize that almost no one has the necessary equipment to play cassette tapes anymore. Many years ago, most churches that recorded messages put them on CDs, and when the time came moved to DVDs. So, if there is any documentation it is on those items, if they can be found.

Many ministries have moved on to video in the past several years, which is understandable giving the technology is more readily available and affordable than it used to be, but the fact is, most churches still think it is too expensive, or even impossible to get their message out in these media applications.

However, being able to record your messages in mp3 format is very easy with the available hardware and software that is very affordable. Using programs like Audacity, gives us the ability to edit, encode with titles, dates, etc on each file with relative ease.

It is becoming more and more possible for even the smallest ministry to spread the message even further than ever before. We just have to make the effort.

But what do you do with the messages you record? You could put  a series of them on a DVD available for sale, which is what a lot of new media ministries do. Or, you can upload them to a website, not looking to profit from the message, and let anyone who has access download them for listening at their convenience.

Whether you are a shut-in in a nursing home, a miner working underground, or even an airline pilot, the technology is available to spread the message across the world in ways we never dreamed of in the past.

MP3 players are very inexpensive and most of us even have one on our cell phones, ready to play at a moments notice.

Preacher, is your message worth sharing? Are you ready for it to go to the uttermost parts of the world? It can, if you will let it.

But, you say, you don’t have a website? That too is no longer a problem, because another part of your ministry, is what you write. And there are many places online where you can create a blog, for FREE! You are reading one right now. It didn’t cost me anything, but I can let you know who I am, what I believe, what I do, etc. And, with some of the FREE Hosting options available, you can upload your message in mp3, and link to it in your blog, and it won’t cost your ministry a cent.

In the coming weeks, I will be covering some of these topics in more detail:

• FREE Hosting Options
• Blogging Site
• Audio & Video Software Sources
• Your Message Online FREE
• so much more!

Your message is just as important to reach those who are busy, or shut-ins, or across the world, as it is to preach to those who walk thru the doors of your sanctuary, and now you have the power to do it. Paul, Peter, even Jesus did not have the options to spread the message the way we have it now. It is a very important time in the world, and our world needs Jesus.

Media Ministries can change the world. Is your message worth sharing?