Usually most of the information I post on this blog has to do with graphic design and web design for ministries. However, this past week I was privileged to watch some of the IMPACT Conference online.

The messages were very inspiring. On Thursday night, July 28, 2011, Jeff Arnold was the featured speaker. I have to say, I have heard him preach many times, but that night was the most anointed message I have heard from him ever, and the best message I have heard from anyone in quite some time.

He preached on miracles and healings, and the reasons we do not get what we need from God. I felt the anointing so strong over the computer. Several times, he said God told him he would show himself if he could get the people to believe the message.

At the end of his message, there were people flocking to the altar and healings were taking place. Bro. Arnold collapsed, and died.

Several people there, as well as paramedics worked on him. The following message is Bro. Arnold in his own words today.  Yes, God raised him back up.

UPDATE JULY 31, 2011 2:25 PM

This morning was Rev. Jeff Arnold’s 30th Anniversary of being pastor of The Pentecostals of Gainesville. The following video is Bro. Arnold talking about the experience.

Browsing around the internet today for inspiration, I was pleasantly surprised to see that some ministries and churches are beginning to update their websites.

It wasn’t that long ago that I wrote about those ministries that still had leftovers on their website from the last millennium and they didn’t look as if they even remembered they had a website, the information was so out of date.

I did run across a few sites that still had a calendar and event banners from 2008 but for the most part, a lot have improved by updating their content and graphics. This is always a good thing.

Information should be updated on your website at least monthly. If you haven’t already, it is a good idea to see if  there is someone in your church that has knowledge to update your website content. It is important for your church members to have a place they can go to if they forget what is happening next Wednesday, but it is also a way for visitors to find out what is currently going on in your church.

Your Site Should Reflect Your Ministry

Many churches have a fairly simple website listing only their schedule, location, and contact information, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, if the contact information is out of date, or perhaps the name of your ministry has changed, or you have new leadership, it should be updated on your site as well as your other promotional materials.

Sometimes the church or ministry website falls into disrepair simply because no one takes time to update it. I know of one site, that shall remain nameless, that has had someone ‘working’ on their site for the past two years. I was surprised somewhat a couple of weeks ago when I went to their site and what I recall from the first time I saw it two years ago, is still there.

Sure, they have the pretty ‘under construction’ images with ‘more information coming soon’ but if it hasn’t changed in two years, you need to hire someone new to take care of it. Or if it is a member in your church or ministry that works on your website, it is time to find someone else. I know if can be hard if you are a small church to find someone who knows how, but if you leave it up to Aunt Josephine’s second cousin’s high school nephew to update your site, there is a good possibility he will be graduating college before your information is updated.

Or perhaps your ministry is as far behind as your website indicates?

Update your website!

Too Much Of A Good Thing

When the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, God sent manna each morning to feed them. They were required to rise each morning and collect enough manna to feed their families for the day. It was set up by God to be a daily task.

Some thought they would be wise and not have to get up each day so they collected more than they needed so they would have some left for the next day. I am not sure if they just figured it would be easier, if they were lazy and only wanted to work once a week or so, or maybe they just wanted to sleep in.

But everyone who collected manna new each day had plenty to sustain them for the day. Those who decided they were smarter than the plan of God, ended up with a little extra protein in their manna. Worms.

The manna would be available first thing in the morning with the dew. If you waited to get your supply until noon, you were out of luck. If you had decided to keep extra from the day before, you would open your pantry and find worms squirming in your food. Not very good.

There are plenty of scriptures in the bible that talk about praying in the morning.

Some mention the very early morning talking with God before the day begins. Even before the sun is on the horizon, finding a place of sanctuary with God.

I have found, for myself, praying when I first wake up always seems to leave me with more energy and time for other things, and I am not so easily distracted with life. Maybe that is why for the past couple weeks I am waking up so early? I groan and lay there hoping to fall back asleep, but finally get up realizing it isn’t going to happen. And no, you can never pray too much.

But, I digress, that is a topic for another day, and perhaps one of my other blogs.

It’s Good But It Is Also TOO MUCH

While looking at inspirational websites, I came across a few that had good intentions but from a design and usability feature had entirely too much content on the front page.

One one side of their front page they had the following:

• Social Media Follow Buttons
• A Search Our Store Option
• Free Newsletter Sign-Up
• Splashy Banner for a trip overseas (including cost)
• News articles related to their ministry mission
• Registration Area for a conference
• & a video

The rest of the page was very similar. On the main page they had fifteen (15) call to action options. This did not include all of the links to various articles they had written, topics for discussion, another video, more subscription and order links.

Displaying options for call to action on the main page is very popular and useful in trying to get your viewer to interact with your website. Whether you have something for sale, a video they should see, or perhaps a newsletter you want to entice them to subscribe to, call to action features are vital for keeping the viewer on your site.

But…

When you have so many on one page, the viewer can, and will get lost.

What To Choose?

Just today in the supermarket, I was in the frozen food section where a sale was going on, and I couldn’t get to the item I needed because a lady was there looking at the same thing. She remarked, ‘there are just too many choices to choose from.’ I know how that is.

Go down the cereal aisle sometime.  There are the name brands we all know, but usually in more than one size. There are generic or store brands that are similar but have different names, and usually the packaging is less intrusive but we ‘get more for the money.’ And then there are the new cereals that look so enticing in the commercials and you may even have a coupon. And, lets not forget the weekly circular ad for the store. Even still other cereals are ON SALE.

The same is true of the content on your ministry website.

It has been said that ugly websites do not reach people. The same should be said for websites that are pretty but have entirely too much content in one spot. That isn’t design, that is clutter!

Oh Good! You found the site you were looking for, but where do you go to find out what you want to know? There are lots of links, lots of banners, lots of…

Too much of a good thing?

I am sure somewhere on that website, there was links to what they believe, who they are, and where to locate them. I didn’t see it though.  I am sure they believe in Jesus, after all everything on their site has to do with their ministry, but it was lost somewhere in all the clutter.

What value do you place on the message if they can’t find it? Is that how it is at your church? Too much going on? You have lots of programs, special music, dramas, lights, and more that the message is getting lost? It’s what your website is telling me. No don’t worry. I know the truth already. But what about the person who doesn’t? If they are lost on your website…?

How will they find the message?

Ok, brace yourself. I know some of you saw the title or image and stepped back in disbelief.

The idea that I would say your website needs to be ‘born again.’

Some I am sure are scratching their heads, some think I am being sarcastic, and yet I think there may be a few who have an idea of where I am going.

I do realize some who are reading this may not even have a website. You either have not had funds available or do not understand the importance of a website for your church or ministry. We have covered the purpose in a previous article which is available to you. (Read more…)

You need a Born Again Website to be effective in reaching the lost with the message, as well as keeping your own membership up to date with what is going on in your church or ministry.

Continued from Part I

Really, for most of us, the internet has only been around about ten years or a bit more. The actual internet was created in November 1969 but almost no one had access and the internet as we know it didn’t really come to life until 1983.

Even then, most of us did not get online unless we got AOL and for the most part that was more of a network than what we know of now as the internet. The majority of us probably started getting online in the mid to late 1990s and then it was chartrooms or learning how to use email more than anything.

Essentially, the internet is always evolving. As technology and knowledge increases, so does our abilities, and what we can do with it. Most of us only dreamed about having a cell phone in the early 1990s, but now nearly every individual over twelve years old has one at their disposal. Same goes for the internet and computers.

In the United States, nearly every home has two or more computers and more than 75% of them are connected to the internet at least part of the time. it is the most effective tool of reaching masses of people. Yet, the message is not getting to them.

A Born Again Website?

So what exactly do I mean by a ‘Born Again’ website?

There were relatively few church websites online ten years ago, and until the rise of Google, it was hard to find websites unless you knew the exact url or address.

For Apostolics and Pentecostals, the numbers were very low on who had a website. I do recall The Pentecostals of Alexandria had one, and they were a sustaining force for me in a time of need.

Most church sites were very simple, with a name on a free host, most of which I cannot even remember anymore, and they consisted of a welcome, maybe an image if you knew how to code html, and contact information. They worked, but weren’t pretty to look at.

A short time later, homestead, geocities, and other hosting services showed up with drag and drop layout where you could make a ‘pretty’ site, and most church sites used what was cool at the time.

Remember these?

Animated crosses, fish, sometimes colorful headings were a big part of what most church websites added to their websites to make them ‘stand out.’

Granted, many of the images and icons were much more grainer and pixelated than this cross, but businesses, churches, or individuals, we all had to have the cool images and logos.

But still most churches didn’t use a professional web developer and relied on the skills of a student who knew some html code or was learning some in school to learn ‘how to design.’ And frankly, even the technology and software that was available to professionals was expensive and still relied on some very basic designs and layout. Let’s face it. Websites were ugly and mostly useless.

The sad thing is, some still are. Some churches and ministries have not updated their website since they first made it. The site on the left is an active site that I took a snapshot of today. It has not been updated since 2001, and I hope they didn’t pay anyone to make it. Links are broken, there is no real information on the front page other than the name and an address I blocked out. The green part is links for advertising.

Old sites had lots of advertising links on the sides in order for the free hosting companies to make money. Many of them went under simply because the truth is, not very many people actually click those links, regardless of what advertisers and seo marketers tell you.

Image links are what people click on, simply because as we are all taught as children, ‘a picture is worth 1000 words.’ Websites are no different. If we think about it for a moment, it is all advertising.

The site on the right (new site) is much easier on the eye, information is easier to find, and the images grab your attention. The likelihood is that you are going to stay on the website if you are looking for information much longer than you would on the other site.

A Born Again Site

So, here we are. What is a Born Again site?

To be born again, you must grow, change your lifestyle, adapt to the environment, and live differently. How does that apply to your ministry or church website?

Some decide they will use what tools their organization offers and pay them, but most items on their website look exactly the same as the churches in other cities and states that belong to the same group.

In fact, there are some churches I know of that when someone changes the top of the page on a church site in Indiana, the churches who use this same company in California, Florida, even Idaho have the exact same image. There is no individuality and it doesn’t always apply to the people you are trying to impact in your own city.

We don’t always grow the same, look the same, act the same, or have the same needs when we are born and begin to grow, so why should our church website and ministry? Growth and change are vital to being Born Again.

Build a new website? Yes, that would be the biggest change, and very beneficial to your ministry. You can hire someone to design, or redesign your site. A good designer/developer can help increase your visibility and impact your ministry and effectiveness. It really helps if people are talking about your website and church or ministry to get the message spread.

But you don’t have to.. shhh, don’t tell anyone! A church designer telling you that you do not have to hire someone. What is the world coming to?

Give Your Website A Checkup!

There are a few simple things you can do that will help as well, without costing a dime. You may have to invest some time, or find a member in your church to do so, but it will help bring growth.

1. Check for broken links (menu, references, etc.) and fix them.
2. Fix any images that do not show up, or add in new ones.
3. Check to see if your contact information and emails are still correct.
4. Is your logo on the page the same as what you use on your business card?
5. If you are on a free host, is it the same hosting address as what you have told people?
6. Has your website been updated in the past week, month, six months?
7. Do you have the capabilities to either add messages or video to your website?
8. Does your website share the gospel of Jesus Christ in an understandable way? (Many do not share the gospel at all.)

There are many more things you can check, but right away these will make a difference in your site. However, there are also things you can add to your site to make it more effective.

Add some or all of these options to your ministry.

1. Get a YouTube account and add videos. (nearly every cell phone has some video recording capability, and its Free)
2. Start a photo gallery (Flickr has free options)
3. Create a Facebook Page for your ministry.
4. Add a Twitter account to help keep your site current, as well as notify your members nearly instantly of schedule changes, prayer requests, and information.
5. Start a blog (pastor’s thoughts, messages, etc. Blogger is Free)
6. Add links or widgets from these services to your site to keep information more current.
7. Make sure your  website is regularly updated so that there is always something new to offer.

And if all else fails, hire a designer. You would be surprised how affordable we are and how we can help make your ministry more effective.

Then you too can say that you have a ‘Born Again’ website!

I started working on this article a couple months ago and failed to do the most important thing everyone who works on a computer knows. When you are working keep saving, and do not try to go backwards. This also could apply to our Christian Walk…

Too many times we get caught up in being busy and trying to get the job done that we forget to save. It is easy to get sidetracked with the work of God to actually forget that one of the primary purposes for us to live a Christian life is to win souls. Yes, it is vital that we serve God because He first loved us, but how can we love something or someone and not want everyone else to experience it?

We know the scriptures. ‘He that winneth souls is wise; Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.’  Most of us want to see our family and friends saved, and many do have an actual burden for souls. It is a part of our makeup as Christians. It is a part of our apostolic doctrine.

Jesus told Nicodemus in John chapter three, ‘Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.’ Being born again is crucial to our salvation. Without being born again, we are eternally lost.

Now I realize that none of us who are apostolic would ever tell anyone they don’t need to be born again. There are some who think that just living a good life, being nice to one another is good enough. There are many more that believe that regardless of our activities His grace will be enough to save them.

While I would never discount His grace and mercy, Jesus himself said, ‘Ye must be born again.’ He did not leave room any error in judgment. Multitudes of people believe that the bible is just about telling them what they cannot do. There are a lot of practices that we follow that are not in scripture that we many times consider part of the walk of holy living. Yet, this is one area where it can be said, this is a no no. This is a must do. Ye must be born again.

I realize this is not a problem for most of us.

The Great Commission

However, when the Bible also states that we should go into all the world and preach the gospel, we relegate that portion of scripture to our missionaries.

Most churches support some sort of plan raising money to send other people to people we will never see. We feel that by donating our money that we have accomplished this task. Many churches place a great deal of focus on reaching tribal areas in Africa, Asia, Europe, usually sending our missions minded members  to the major international cities members. While it is great to be passionate about trying to help out in those areas we believe we will never visit ourselves, we are sadly lacking many times in reaching those just across the street in our local communities.

Sure we may ‘witness’ when an opportunity presents itself. Perhaps when we know our friend has gone into the hospital for a surgery or when we hear about a member of their family passing we may offer our prayers, but lets admit it, we are not near as proactive as we used to be in reaching out to others.

All of us mean well I am sure, but do we use all the potential available to us in trying to win souls? Do we use the tools that are in our grasp to reach into areas we may not have opportunity to go ourselves?

Easy Ways That Reach The Lost

While there is no specific way that is more impacting that others, there are many methods that most of us know about but probably do not use.

• Tracts/Revival Brochures
• Newspaper/TV Advertising
• Home Bible Studies
• Community Bake Sales
• Church Carnival/Charity Events

With the exception being mentioned in a sermon in our churches, or the occasional testimony of how this person was giving a friend a home bible study, it has been ages since I have heard of these methods being used by most Apostolic or Pentecostal churches. I am not sure why because honestly most of them cost very little.

But there is an even easier way to reach in the lost in your community, and even around the world. You may have the potential to reach some relative in a far off land simply by having a website for your church or ministry.

Embrace Technology!

If you are reading this article it is either by a computer, e-reader, smart phone, or someone printed it out for you to read. Almost everyone from the time they are very young has the opportunity to use a cell phone, play video games, or check email. And while some of us might deny it, lets face it, everyone really is on Facebook, or for sure has family members who are.

Yet for some reason many Apostolic/Pentecostal churches have not taken advantage of this opportunity. I am not sure if they are afraid of technology, or they think it costs too much. With the exception of a few remote areas in the jungles overseas, for sure nearly everyone is aware of the internet and computers.

Can we honestly say Jesus would not want us to be online? Sure there are areas online that none of us should venture into. But Jesus said to go into the highways and byways and compel them that my house might be full.

Jesus was always reaching out to the sinners. Whether it was crooks, murderers, prostitutes, or even into those in government positions. No one was above Him reaching out to. If you knew your brother was being beaten up in  a  bar downtown somewhere, would you sit there waiting to see if he came home, or would you go down there and try to get him out?

Jesus was all about reaching out, shouldn’t we be?

Does Your Ministry or Church Have A Website?

I am sure many of you can answer yes. Do you know the website address so you can point someone there? Do you ever go and look at it yourself?

However, there are many churches and ministries who rely on word of mouth. They have no website to point friends, family, or visitors to. And lets be real here.

There is not a day that goes by that you do not hear about a website. Nearly every food package in your pantry has a website address on it. Our bills, our banks, our child’s school, they are all online. If we want to find anything from a doctor to a plumber, chances are most of us go to the internet.

Sure, we have phone books, but most of us don’t even know which drawer we stuffed it in when it was dropped at our door. Better than 90% of homes in the USA have at least one internet ready computer, television, or other device. And if you don’t have that, you have a cell phone. And nearly all cell phones have internet capabilities. So I ask again does your ministry have a website?

Yes We Have A Website

Some churches embraced the technology quite a few years ago. They had their church location, maybe a few photos, service times and was hosted on some free internet site. Some still have their websites, but there were many who seemed to think the internet was a fad or just didn’t see the importance at the time.

A lot of companies offered free hosting for churches because they realized the importance of sharing the message, but I was amazed how hard it was to find Apostolic or Pentecostal churches online.

And it still is.

We don’t even think about going to Facebook to share photos or play games anymore. For many it is a daily habit. It has almost become as common for many as breathing. And even more people, whether for business reasons, or keeping in touch with friends use email every day.

It is common now if you meet someone in a supermarket and talk about your business, life, or church for them to ask if we have a website, or a Facebook page.

Many of us can say yes we do have a website. We paid XYZ Marketing Company $1200 to list us in the Yellow Pages and to create a page where people can find some information about our church seven years ago. But, let me ask you, has your church website been Born Again?

FREE TWITTER BACKGROUND & FACEBOOK PROFILE IMAGE

It is that time of year again. Many of us are getting ready to celebrate our nation’s birthday. Whether we stay at home and have a barbecue, or perhaps go up to the lake, or gather with others in a city park to watch the fireworks, we all have our forms of celebration.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating our freedom. We are still one of the few countries that have the ability to worship, play, work, and live as we choose. There are many countries who have a semblance of freedom, but when push comes to shove their freedoms are much more limited than ours, and for most of them the idea of any kind of freedom is just a dream. Many of them hunger to have what we have.

We relish the idea that in America we can do just about anything we want. Some of us appreciate what we have, others take advantage of it, but if we pay attention to what is going on around us, our liberties are beginning to slip from our grasp.

In the last couple of years, there are many who have lost their homes due to foreclosure. There are many who are out of work and must rely on the kindness of others just to survive. Some of our men and women are still overseas fighting battles that politicians think we should be involved in. Our country is changing, and while some love the idea of certain ideologies becoming more to their liking, the liberties that we have loved and taught our children about are starting to fade into history. Is this what America really wants?

I really do not think so, but it seems as if our eyes have been clouded over, or perhaps we have just given up. Many of us can look at our children and what is normal for them, and then we look back to when we were their age and realize the American Dream is not what it used to be.

Gone is the idea that you could go to work out of high school or college and retire from the same job many years later. Most of us have worked more jobs in just a few years than we care to count. Many have no real retirement savings to depend on when we get elderly, or even enough money set aside for college for our children.

There was a time when we had real freedom, but we kept desiring more and more  of our idea of freedom at the expense of others, and now it is costing us. Our nation is ravished by impending debt to where if things do not change, America as we know it will cease to exist. It is already happening in many areas of our lives. It is not everyone’s dream anymore to grow up, get married, work, have our own home, and raise our children in a safe environment.

What changed? Too much independence? Too many people taking advantage of each other? Jealousy? Rage? Sin? All of the above and more. America needs to revisit its roots, and return to the reason our country was born.

We claim the freedom of worship that brought our forefathers here,  but even that is disappearing.

It is time for us as Americans to return to prayer and worship. I am not saying you have to believe, or pray, or even go to the same church I do, but if you look around with the things we all are facing, and look forward to what our kids will see, you have to come to the same conclusion I have. Pray for America. It isn’t just about politics or ideas, but all of us need to take some time and remember who we were, what our destiny was meant to be, and who we have become.

Pray for America.

I challenge you this Independence Day to take a few moments  before you indulge and celebrate by shooting off fireworks, eating that big slice of pie or watermelon, spend time with family and pray for America. We all need it.

In honor of Praying for America, I have created a Facebook profile image, and a twitter background, available for anyone who wants to use it. It is a free download.

DOWNLOADS

FREE TWITTER BACKGROUND

• jpg version
• png version (higher quality)

FREE FACEBOOK PROFILE/SIDEBAR IMAGE

• jpg version
• png version (higher quality)

If you would like a custom twitter background for your page, church or ministry, or if you have other graphic design or website needs please contact us!