It is the beginning of the year and we reflect on the past, take stock of where we are, and try and put into places changes that will make us more successful. The same goes for website design, including church websites.

I have noticed over the last few years that of the few apostolics that do have websites for their ministry, most of them never update, or finish once it is started.

We all make excuses about our daily lives, and it might even be justified, but there comes a point when it can run over into changing the reflection of who we are as well. Our online activities and efforts can be either an effective tool or a big waste of time that benefits no one. A church ministry website is one such place.

While other areas of ministry are given much attention and most pastors would not show up for church with one shoe on, his suit inside out, and his big toe sticking out of the sock that is showing. Or the sister who teaches your children in Sunday School wouldn’t show up with her hose a wrinkled mess, or her hair not being combed, when it comes to the technology and creative sides of ministry we sometimes just let that slip away.

That is one of the reasons when you decide it is time to get online with your message you need to hire someone who has done it before, preferably a professional designer. If you didn’t, or even if you did and your site has been in limbo for a while, here are a few signs that you are in desperate need for an Extreme Makeover.

1. Incomplete Site

It can happen to the best of us, and usually does but if your site is unfinished and six months or more has transpired and it is still not finished, you need to call your designer, or find a new one.

There is a possibility that the information he needs has been sitting on your desk in that pile of papers you needed to file since last September, (it happens a lot), but chances are he got busy doing something else and forgot about you.

The number one reason most ministry sites go unfinished is that the information they need, such as pastor’s welcome, department information, schedules, and current photos have not been given to your designer to fill in. He cannot make the stuff up, he needs your information.

If your site still has Lorem Ipsum on it or Coming Soon, or links that go no where an other information that makes no sense to your site, (link here, asdakdd, Ridiculus, integer tincidunt, pellentesque proin tincidunt, natoque mauris urna augue tincidunt aliquam, Under Construction) or other filler information your site is in need of a makeover.

2. Outdated Information

Second biggest problem with most ministry sites is information that is outdated, or simply incorrect.  I was amazed recently when I was looking over a ministry site and saw animated swirly things, and a calendar date for a special event and it was dated June 4, 2002.

If your website has information on it that is older than six months, (it should be a month or less, but I will cut you some slack) then it is time for a makeover.

It is also time for an overhaul if your website lists your department heads from two pastors ago, and Sis. Shelley is listed as the church secretary and she has passed on, in fact you sang at her funeral, then it is time for an Extreme Makeover.

And yes, I am doing some of this tongue in cheek, because I don’t want to offend anyone, but I also want you to realize how silly it can be.

3. Missing Important Information

Recently someone asked me to take a look at their new website and tell them what I think. I might add that they were very proud of what had been done because it was supposed to be cutting edge design.  I was honored.

I spend a lot of time not only creating graphics and websites, but I also get paid to critique websites both for ministries and business to tell them what needs updated, how come their website doesn’t get them more business, and many times take a hard look at the site before it goes completely live.

Surprisingly enough, this pastor who was so proud, had forgotten to include information as to where his church was located, and the service schedule.

If you already went to the church, chances are you would already know all this information, but if you were a visitor you were out of luck.  They did have a contact page which included the name of the church, the city they were in but no street address, a clickable email address, and a phone number. 

I dialed the number, and got a ‘*beep* the number you are trying to call has been disconnected.’ The email address took me to my own email account, put the email address in the to box, and no other information.

Now that isn’t totally bad because you can fill in the details of the email yourself. However, do you ever get spam mail? Of course you do. 99% of the time, most spam mail starts by clicking such a link, and some unscrupulous marketing companies have what are called ‘spiders’ which browse websites all the time looking for contact information, and if they find an email address that is clickable, they take down that email and begin sending spam.

So, the chances are if you have such an address, even if it is correct, after a short while your email provider will notice the spam mail, and automatically start filtering the email to go into a spam folder, if it even reaches your desk.  That visitor who wanted to find out how to get to your church will end up in the spam folder or possibly even the recycle bin.

Shockingly, the other biggest missing information is that your beliefs are not included on your website. I have talked to some ministries that do not want that information there because they have been told by someone that it will drive away potential members. The theory behind this is that if your beliefs are somehow different from theirs, they will not make an attempt to come to your church. THIS IS WRONG.

Recently, I came across a blog of a young couple in Austin, Texas. They were new to the area and had decided they wanted to go to church. Partially out of just wanting to make friends, and partially to get back to their roots of where they had grown up.

They got on Google on their iPhone, (no one looks at a phone book anymore, really!), looked up the churches, and checked out a couple of websites. They came across one that seemed to be similar to what they grew up with, so they went the following Sunday.  It was not at all what they expected but they sat through the service and after arriving home, checked that church off the list of where to go.

The same thing happened the next Sunday. Another church website, another church visit, another check mark. This went on for five weeks, and the young lady decided to blog about their experiences. They were determined to find a church and so they turned it into an adventure.

What she found out was that your website reflects the way your church is. If your website is dull and boring, and hasn’t been updated in a while, the church is pretty much the same way.  One church they went to actually had burned out light bulbs in one of the hallways, and there was only a handful of people there, mostly elderly, and they were quiet and reserved. They didn’t feel that they fit in at all.

So, they tried a couple of more exciting websites. Flashy sites pumping graphics across the screen while music from a well known Christian Rock group emanated out of the speakers.  It seemed exciting, didn’t list what they believed but it was worth a shot.

When they got to the church, they were met by a guy with a bright red mohawk, tattoos up and down his arms, a dirty muscle shirt, and a nose ring. He invited them to stop over and try out the coffee bar where they were serving pastries and coffee drinks.  They tried it out and it was good, so they went in to the service when it started.

Heavy beats of a drum, loud guitar to where she wrote “I felt my ears might start bleeding at any time.” Then it slowed down for a moment as the red mohawk guy took the stage and started talking to them about ways to improve their physical appearance in order to be a better part of society. No joke.  He was the pastor.

She later wrote in her blog that there was nothing about what this church, if you can call it that, believed, and it was a total shock when they experienced it for themselves. They marked it off the list as soon as they got home.

They also found by simply driving around that most churches do not even have a simple website with service times and contact information.

After nearly a year they still never found a church where they felt they fit in. Their adventure continues.

You need to include what you believe and how you worship on your website, they are out there looking for somewhere to call home.

There are many more topics I could list to help you decide if your website needs a makeover, but in this posting I am only going to list one more for now.

4. Your Website is More Than Five Years Old

I know what you are thinking. Our website doesn’t look bad. It has the basic information. We even have a guest book and a spinning envelope graphic to tell them to email us.

While to some degree it may be getting the message partially out there, chances are no one who goes to your church ever visits your website, and its not likely any visitors do either. Chances are your website has many of the issues I have described.

I know of a church that every time I come across their website I cringe. It is not that it is ugly so much as it just looks old. There are a few pages with missing information and that “under construction” sign, but I have been aware of this church for more than four years now and the only thing that gets updated is their once-a-year church conference.

They pay someone several thousand dollars to make flyers, special business cards, and even a PowerPoint display. A copy of one of the flyers ends up on their website, but nothing else ever changes.

The website lists the name of a company that is supposedly the builder, but when you click it, it goes no where.  I was told that they have someone from the church who is supposed to be working on it when he can.

Knowing people in this church well, though, I know more about this church. They have a good spirit. They spend a lot of money on upgrading their church with large television monitors so that everyone can see the words to songs, the scripture text the preacher uses, and the announcements.  They are in the process of building a coffee house and a bowling alley at the church.

They have invested a lot of time and money in their church, and they have many special events for the community throughout the year. But behind the scenes, it is a different story, especially in the department that handles technology and creative ideas.

The computer that is used to display the PowerPoint presentation when they have their conference is more than ten years old, and a good percentage of the time freezes up when they try and advance too fast.  The mouse  connected to the computer (who uses those anymore) has a wire that runs down the wall and is intermingled with all the other cords and wires that run the computer, monitor, sound board, and recording equipment.

Yet, the pastor has often been quoted as saying he wants the screens with the songs and his ‘scriptures more flashy,  and faster somehow, and why is this computer so much slower than my Mac or my Ipad.’ His MacBook was new last summer.

This church has done a lot of good in their community. They have some great services, but their website displays how important they think it is to have the correct tools to get your message across. Our world is turning more and more to smaller, more efficient ways to get the messages.

We have Ipads, laptops, internet enhanced televisions and cards, and almost everyone over the age of eight has a cell phone that can text, get music, surf the internet, and do a lot of tasks that keep them connected to their lives.

Yet, when it comes to making sure that those who need to know this message can find it, in all the truth that we believe, we go lacking desperately.

Is it Time for an Extreme Makeover in your church? On your website?

Today, I have decided to depart a bit from my usual design, social media, technology postings to write about a subject that has been been on my mind the last few days. It was made even more apparent today, so I decided to go ahead and put it out there in my own words..

Most of us grew up either reading the classic Charles Dickens novel, or even watching a variation of A Christmas Carol. The story has been made into lots of movies, including Christian themes, and even with Mickey Mouse.

There might be a few people who haven’t heard of it, but at this time of year it is a fixture. But do we really know the man behind the story? As Paul Harvey used to say, this is the rest of the story.

The main character is Ebenezer Scrooge.  His name has become synonymous with people who pinch pennies as well as people who do not get into a holiday spirit at Christmas time.  We are very quick to judge those who do not seem in a jolly mood as being a ‘scrooge,’ even if we do not know the underlying cause for their lack of enthusiasm.

Some might even blame it on depression or other mental health reasons, but did you ever stop and think there could be a reason for the discouragement, lack of excitement, or even the  lack of free willing generosity of some?

Times Are Hard

Even in the storyline, Dickens wrote about the economic hardship of many much similar to what we are facing today. There was not a lot to go around, and yet people were doing the best they could to survive without help. Wages were down, and  the lifestyle at the time was very diminished. People did not live on credit like we do today, but actually paid for what they used or consumed. In that respect, maybe in some ways it was a better time because they weren’t obsessed with wanting and they didn’t run up huge debt.

However, it is assumed by the storyline that Scrooge is a banker. He loaned money and expected a return on his money.  And for the most part, because of his job, we assume he was a very greedy, selfish man.  He does make his employee work hard, that is without doubt, but as the story unfolds we only think of him as a rude, uncaring individual, and even though his life is displayed before us, somehow we seem to neglect that part.

It is easy to judge people based on what we see, or what stands out in our mind, but we don’t even try to understand how they got that way.

What About Poor Scrooge?

The story talks much about how he keeps to himself, doesn’t really have any visitors, and misses a friend who is no longer around. However, much of what we focus on is what he doesn’t give to others.

Men come to ask him to help out with donations and he turns them down. The assumption from almost everyone is he wants to be alone, doesn’t care about others, and in general is a bitter old man without cause.

Usually missed in the story he gives Bob Cratchit Christmas day off with pay. It seems if you take a step back that people are always asking for something but never giving back in return.  You ever treat anyone like that?

We focus on his attitude and bitterness, but we really do not look deeper into his life to see how he got that way. Maybe if we did, even our attitude toward others who are hurting might change.

Misunderstanding

Underlying the entire story, but missed by most, is that Scrooge is hurting, and yet only Cratchit extends any sort of kindness to him. How do you think you would feel if seemingly everyone treated you that way? Only taking, never giving back.

We see their loneliness, their discouragement, but instead of extending a hand, we only talk to them when we need something. Or rather when we want something they can provide. We don’t ask them why, or try and understand how they got the way they did.

Scrooge was no different. It is in the story, but we miss it.

The Beginning Of Disappointment

As a young boy, Ebenezer Scrooge was sent to a boarding school away from his family. In fact, he doesn’t even get to go home for Christmas. His father, in a sense is willing to pay the school fees but not willing to spend any time with his son.  Over time this would greatly affect anyone. He wasn’t used to spending time with others, because even his own family ‘rejected’ him.

Scrooge works hard to become  self sufficient and take care of himself,  but  most see that as him being a miser, unwilling to share his hard earned money. He does have a low opinion of the poor, but mostly because he believes if I did it, they can.

Because he feels he must prepare for the future, he works more than he should. He must have had some kindness in him because he does get engaged to Belle.

However, she walks away when again he retreats into his work, maybe to make sure she is well taken care of, but instead she sees it as rejection and walks away. 

We don’t know for sure if she was demanding or not, but lost in the story is the possibility he only wanted to care for her like she deserved, and not having been raised in a family that cared, he has a hard time identifying with that.  So, of course he becomes more disengaged and reclusive. Rejected by his father who blames him for his mother’s death, (she died in childbirth, so he never got her love either)  and his fiancée whom he tried to love walks away too. Giving the same circumstance, what would you do?

The Change

Toward the end of the story, Scrooge is visited by a spirit giving him glimpses of his future. He dies alone. Even after his death, people talk bad about him.

He has become so reclusive, keeping everything he makes, not willing to give back and dies without kindness.

However, he takes it upon himself to change the story. He takes charge and takes back some happiness, and we have a good positive ending.

But I find myself wondering, what if someone other than Bob Cratchit had extended him kindness, came around to visit, tried to be understanding of his situation, would the story have been even better?

We get so busy focusing on what seems to be missing from the life of Scrooge, we neglect to look at those who helped to form his demeanor.

Blamed for the hardship of others, even the death of his mother. Misunderstood by the girl he loved, those who would come around only wanted his money, how did they expect him to act?

How About Our Attitude?

In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about being sick and no one visiting; being hungry and no one feeding him; being thirsty and no one giving him a drink.

It is easy to get caught up in our own lives and I understand that. However, are we just as guilty as those who treated Scrooge wrongly? Do we extend our hand to the hurting? Do we visit the sick? Do we try and understand what they are going through? Or do we not take a second thought about it, unless we need something from them?

In taking a look at A Christmas Carol, we focus so much on Scrooge’s behavior, we miss the behavior of those who made him who he was. He gets the blame, even though in the end, his attitude changes.

How about yours?

Do you only take but not give back? Do you forget that the one that is no longer with you is possibly hurting? Do you know the story behind what they are going through? Do you visit them when they are sick?

Or do you walk away like Scrooge’s father and fiancée?

How much would it cost us to give someone a call? Or even go visit them? Do you put money in the red buckets at the entry to most stores?  Do you hurry past them or even those begging beside the road to go get ‘what you need?’ Are they deserving of just being cast aside?

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.  Matthew 25:42-45

Challenge

I challenge you this Christmas to make a change. Instead of just ignoring that Christmas card in the mail, send them one back with a letter, or give them a call. Reach out to someone who might be lonely and invite them to lunch, or at least church. 

Give a little bit extra to those who are collecting for a charity, or take some food to someone who might be hungry. And especially if someone gives you a gift, even if you cannot afford to give one back, show some gratitude. It could be you being Ebenezer next year.

This time of year there is a certain respect for most people about the birth of Christ, even if you do not claim to be a Christian.

From children singing ‘Away In A Manger’ to living Nativity scenes in local communities, everyone knows that there is going to be more talk, images, and references to Jesus and His birth.

While the multitudes of people do not acknowledge Him in their own personal lives, they do accept that Christmas is directly related to Christ’s birth and they don’t seem to mind. They may even display Christian symbols; angels, crosses, doves, crèches, mangers on tables, walls, doors, and Christmas trees.

However, there is a growing group of people who are trying everything in their power to not only remove references to Christianity from our lives, they even want to remove Him from Christmas. They have decided that while we cannot discriminate against and must even respect Muslims, Buddhists, or other pagan religions, that Christianity must at all costs be removed from our lives.

In God We Trust

This phrase has appeared on U.S. coins since 1864 and on paper currency since 1957. It has been a part of our daily lives for most of us since birth, and while it does not specifically say Jesus Christ is Lord, it is the accepted reference, and there have been factions that have tried to remove it from our money, or any other U.S. document, building, or monument because of the constitutional statute of separation of church and state. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that this is not a violation of that statute, but still in all there are secular groups that use this as their banner ideology in removing God due to their own opinion that this violates the constitution.

Monuments, plaques, or other displays that include any references to the God of The Bible are considered issues. From the Ten Commandments to crucifixes, The Pieta, and other religious icons are being torn down, or at the very least issues of contention for many who want God removed from view.

It makes one wonder why there is also not such an outcry against Buddhas, Muhammads, Wiccan, and other images? Do they not consider them religious symbols as well? No room for Him here.

Politics Over Personal Preference?

Now, let me make it clear, I am a practicing Christian in all aspects of my life.  I do believe that God is integral even in the DNA of every human body, and I believe that the message must reach every person that they may be saved.

When it comes to being aggressive against other religions, politicians, ideologies, or creeds, I have not adopted a stance of hate against anyone. Even those with values I find abhorrent and against every principle of the Bible, I have chosen not to attack. People are people, and all humankind deserves life.

The Bible says all have sinned, and while there are certain beliefs that are in fact, sin, even God himself gave us free will. Regardless of whether or not you choose to live a sinful life, and are in direct violation against the scriptures, I am not your judge.

However, there are certain aspects of my beliefs that make me want to take a stand and shout unto the heavens against the forcible actions that are attempting to remove Christ from my life and the lives of others. This past year it has became abundantly more clear, that as Christians we must take a stand against the current ideologies of the current U.S. Government administration. Their philosophies and bias has become part of the force to remove Christ, God, and other Christian principles, even inferred ones, from our country. Plenty of room for Buddha, Muhammad, and other religious icons but no room for Christ.

Did You Know?

On September 14, 2011 Chief of Staff C.W. Callahan of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center sent out a memo about policies that cover guidelines for wounded, ill, and injured partners in care (our wounded soldiers).  It stated that, 'No religious items (i.e. Bibles, reading material, and/or artifacts) are allowed to be given away or used during a visit.’

A Republican lawmaker denounced the policy on the House floor and called on President Obama to publicly renounce the military policy.

‘That means you can’t bring in a Bible and read from it when you visit your son or your daughter, perhaps – or your wife or husband,”  Representative King said. ‘It means a priest that might be coming in to visit someone on their death bed couldn’t bring in the Eucharist, couldn’t offer Last Rites. This is the most outrageous affront.’

This would also mean our own Apostolic preachers, or even the soldier’s family could not bring in a prayer cloth, or even giving one of their own magazines, books, tracts, or other religious materials to the wounded soldier.

While Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has said this was not their expressed intent to restrict soldier’s families from praying for them, the policy was enacted as to not force ‘one’s religion on others who may be nearby.’

President Obama has made no comment or taken any action on this issue as of the writing of this article.

No room for Him even with our wounded soldiers who have fought for our liberties?

Removing Christ From Christmas & Thanksgiving

There have been a lot of over the past two years about changing the wording of Christmas celebrations to Holiday or other derivatives.

This year has been no different and unless you have been living in a cave somewhere you are well aware of stories that have come out about communities changing the names of Christmas displays to Holiday displays on the premise that just saying the word, ‘Christmas’ can be construed as offensive.

Our stores are packed with Christmas sales and shoppers and no one seemed to mind regardless of their personal beliefs about that. In fact this year on ‘Black Friday’ was considered one of the best sales days in recent years, even in a bad economy, but let’s get rid of the word ‘Christmas’ anyway. 

I am wondering if they changed it to Holiday sales, would people still come out and shop, and what about sales on other acknowledged holidays?  Maybe we should remove the name of all holidays, including Independence Day, because it will surely offend someone.  If we are intent on removing Christ from Christmas, then what is the difference?

Remove Valentine’s Day from any mention and I wonder what kind of outcry would there be to that?  After all there are many who are single, alone, lonely and do not like that day. But no, this is just one other way to remove Christ from our lives.

Even our own President this year made no reference to God or Christ in his Thanksgiving message. He said to be thankful, but doesn’t being thankful require giving thanks to someone? It is an action word even though we have made it more about turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie, than about being grateful to God for giving us another year. I wonder what the Pilgrims would think?

President Obama also this year when bringing in the official national Christmas Tree, called it a ‘Holiday Tree’.  For someone who has been very vocal to say he is a ‘Christian’ to put down distractors who say he is in fact a Muslim, and likely not even an American, I am amazed that he is so afraid of offending that he would call it a Holiday Tree instead of a Christmas Tree. Or is not that he is afraid of offending at all, but instead is like many out there who want Christ removed from Christmas?

If Christ were to be born today instead of two thousand years ago, would there be a bed for Him in the White House?

Is There Room For Him In Your Life?

In John chapter five, Jesus said, ‘I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.’

From His birth to His death, it seemed that many had no room for Jesus. Sure, when it came to miracles and blessings, they wanted in on that. His messages might have moved them on the hillside, and of course the healings and miracles moved people to such a frenzy that the government of that time, much like ours today, plotted to remove Him out of fear of His taking power away from them.

But it goes much deeper than that, many of us do not acknowledge Him in our lives either. We are quick to point out others who would want Christ removed, but possible due to unconscious neglect, or perhaps a whittling away of our faith, we don’t often think of Him either.

I have a print of the cover from The Saturday Evening Post in November 1951 hanging on the wall in my kitchen. It depicts an elderly lady and her grandson praying in a restaurant over their meal, while others look on with great interest.

I have seen movies, and even TV shows from the era that had families gathered around the table saying ‘grace.’  Yet, for many of us, praying over our food has fallen by the wayside. We are in such a hurry running through the fast food drive-thru that we grab our food out of the sack, take a drink from our soda or coffee and back on to the hustle of our lives, without a thought to stop and say a prayer.

Now I realize most of us are in a hurry, but we don’t pray over our meals when we go out with friends or family either, for that matter most of us do not pray over food in our own homes, except for maybe at Thanksgiving or Easter. It has become an afterthought.

Growing up, I remember we always prayed over meals no matter where we were. We would pray before we went to bed, or on a trip somewhere, and many of us had daily family devotions of bible reading and prayer before we would start our day. It was a normal part of our lives. In fact, in my house even guests spending the night, missionaries or evangelists that were staying with us, would also get up early in the morning before my father left for work to read a chapter out of the Bible and each individual prayed one after the other from the youngest that could speak even a phrase or two being helped, to the oldest person in the family. It was a part of our lives.

But now it seems we are too busy. Our Bibles sit on a shelf or table, unless we are headed to church. We get up and eat, or go to bed crashing from the day without taking time to pray or read the Word. I admit I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to personal devotions and prayer. We can make all kinds of excuses, but really it comes down to effort. We don’t take the time because He is not ever present in our thoughts. Maybe that is part of the reason for the decline in marriages working, families being dysfunctional, and the ever increasing amount of tragedies and disappointment in our lives. No room for Him.

Is There Really Room For Him In Your Ministry ?

We shout it out from our pulpits and pews to our literary publications, broadcasts, and music. We exclaim our love and passion for Him and our burden for others to know Him. We rave against those who teach false doctrine, we sign petitions and share emails with references to Christ or His removal from our lives.

We are quick to let it be known we are not the same as others who believe different from us, in fact we often criticize others who do not have the same doctrines or dogmas.

Yet while we criticize other faiths, we see them on the streets sharing their message while we keep our enclosed in the four walls of our sanctuary. We used to be about door knocking, handing out tracts, raising money for missions by collecting aluminum cans or selling baked goods in our shopping malls.

Many a church was built by selling peanut brittle door to door, and many times the life we lead away from church was the instrument for others coming to visit our church, even if we were not eloquent in our speech, or aggressive in our approach.

Now, Instead of being proactive in our communities, we have become more ‘protective’ of our saints to the point that when someone leaves our congregation we stop acknowledging their existence.  We have no room for those who fall away, even if they are in the hospital or going through trials that most of us cannot bear ourselves. It is much easier to criticize and cast judgment than it is to still reach out to the lost sheep.  We are so adamant about keeping ‘our saints’ that we take the message out of our public schools, jobs, and other areas of our community.

But we wonder come Sunday, or a revival meeting, why the handful sitting in our pews are the ones we see all the time? But we will keep shouting about our burden for a move of God, and the revival He has promised so many times. But we will be shouting to the same ones that always hear us. After all, they know where we are. If they needed God why aren’t they coming to church?

We will preach about missing church, not paying tithes, and other parts of our doctrine and be critical about those that miss even one Sunday. But going to church doesn’t make you a Christian. Living the life, sharing the message does. Maybe because we have become so busy in our lives, ministries, programs, and plans, that we do not even realize we didn’t leave room for Him.

No Room For Him?

I woke up this morning to news about a sculpture of Christ near a Veterans Hospital in Montana that overlooks a lake. It has been there since the early 1950s, but somehow there has been a petition to have it removed recently because it might possibly offend someone.

Sixty-plus years that image of Christ has sat in the same spot, and now someone wants it gone. At first, I was outraged, and then I thought about it. An image is just an image, it is not Christ. In fact you can buy a toaster that will put an image of Christ on your morning toast each day, and no putting an image there doesn’t make you more spiritual, nor does it make your toast blessed.

However, the commentator was railing about how dare they want to remove this image? In fact this article started from that idea. But the truth is, while we rail and complain about people wanting to remove Christ from our lives, for most of us, He is not really an integral part of our lives. We call ourselves Christian, but we do not practice even the basic Christianity that used to be normal.

We used to sing, ‘This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…’ but we do not have time to even stop and whisper a prayer, read a scripture, let alone tell someone.

When is the last time, other than a church service, you picked up your Bible, said a prayer that lasted more than a minute, or told someone not about how wonderful your church is, our how your pastor said this or that, but talked about Christ Himself?

We had room for Him at one time, when we were looking up from the pits of despair, lost without knowing Christ. And even though there are countless souls in the same place, fighting the same issues you were, looking for answers but we do not have room for Him.

No Room For Him… Again

They say history repeats itself. When He came into this world, they couldn’t find a place for Him. When He ministered, He had no place to lay His head. When He died, He was buried in a borrowed tomb. We talk about Him being as close as the mention of His name, and many have shouted His name in peril, but as life slips by once again, we have no room for Him. It really isn’t that hard to find room.

• Get up a little bit early tomorrow and say a prayer, or take time to read a scripture.
• Take a moment when you are rushing through the checkout lane to thank God for the food you are buying.
• When you see someone begging beside the road, even if you don’t have a dollar to spare, take a bit of time to pray for them, or stop and say hi.
• When you think about our country and the changes that are taking us down the wrong path, instead of just getting mad, say a prayer.
• When you put your child to bed, even when they wail about not wanting to go, go with them, kneel by their bed and pray a bit.
• When you come home from a long day at work, take a few moments as you change clothes or prepare some food to thank God.
• Take that extra food in your pantry that you know you won’t eat and give it to someone, or a local food bank.
• When you are unwinding at the end of the day, take a few moments extra, put down that book or remote, and tell God how grateful you are.
• Stop for a moment before you text your friends, or read updates on your Facebook page to remember that without Him none of it would exist.
• Before you open your Christmas gifts this year, gather around with your family and read the Christmas story one more time.  Luke 2:1-21

Make Room For Him… Again

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Have you ever really stopped and consider the ant?

Oh, I know we all do to some degree. We see them on our kitchen counter and immediately grab something to swat at them. Or perhaps we see some on the floor and look for spray to get rid of them.

We think of them as pests and dirty and do our best to get rid of them as quickly as we can, but have you ever really considered them or took time to watch what they are doing?

Randomness

I was watching some ants the other day. Well, I will be truthful. I saw a couple ants in my house, and I tried to get rid of it. It didn’t work immediately, and I found myself wondering why. I tried some bug spray, a few organic household remedies, and even asked a few people their suggestion. Nothing seemed to work. They were in a spot close to a chair in my house, never really deviated from the area too much, but I found myself watching what they were doing.

They seemed scattered. At first there was just the one heading off in some random direction. And before long there was two, then three, then a few more. They really seemed to be very individual. I didn’t notice much except they seemed to have no pattern to their direction. One would go this way, turn a couple wavy motions and seem to end up back where he started. Another took off in a different direction, and seemed to be going in a circle somewhat.

Remember, I was trying to kill them. So I would try some spray and when that didn’t work, some vinegar was suggested from a friend. Tried that, it did get a couple of them, but before long they were back and seemed to be more of them than before. But they all seemed to be going every which way with no direction. Just random patterns on the floor made by these tiny creatures. They didn’t really seem to have a purpose.

Purpose Driven

Surely there must be some specific thing they do. It does seem like they are going in no specific direction, but they can’t really all be headed no where can they? Maybe they just didn’t find what they were looking for, so they went somewhere else.

It made me think about our walk with God. Many times we see people enter our sanctuaries, come a few times, and then  they don’t seem to come back. In our daily lives we probably appear like we have no purpose. Sure, we go to work, buy groceries at the supermarket, look for clothes in the mall, but we can seem to all be individuals with no specific purpose just going through life.

We too, regardless of our faith and foundation, if we do not find what we are looking for, will go off in some other direction. Looking for something we haven’t found yet. Just like the ant, we do have a purpose, and we will keep looking until we find it.

The Purpose

Today, I saw an ant again. I thought I had gotten rid of them the other day, but apparently not. But this ant instead of roving along in some random direction was attempting to carry a piece of something. I looked closer and it must have been a small piece of a chip or a cracker he found somewhere. I really don’t know where. The place where the ants have been is tiled floor. I do my best to keep my house clean, so where that came from I don’t know. But this ant was trying to get the crumb of food from wherever he found it to somewhere else.

It was bigger than him by at least 5 or 6 times, and so it would move slightly, and then I would see him come around to the other side and it would move a bit of a different direction.

In a space of about ten minutes, that crumb went about six inches. Now, in relation to our size, that is remarkable. I don’t think any of us could move a car by ourselves a mile. Especially, if it didn’t have wheels.

But then I saw a big change. All of a sudden the ant had company. Not just one ant anymore but about ten.

They grasped onto the crumb that the one ant was trying to move. And it began to move again. Only this time they were moving much faster and working together to make it happen.

Unity

We all know that there is strength in numbers. Yet many times, we leave the work to one or two, and the rest of us just reap the benefits. This ant was moving a morsel of food from where he found it to his home. Where all the other ants are. It wasn’t just for his use but for all of them. And no, I do not know where they are all going. It is somewhere unseen, I have looked diligently. But the point is, when the one needed help instead of the randomness of their actions usually, they came together for one common purpose.

They were unified to get that food source back to their home so that they can all partake of it. How do they communicate? I have no idea. It seems in this age of technology, if our battery goes dead on our cell phone we are completely lost. I have seen people sit side by side and text each other back and forth, instead of talking. I guess it is still communication, but ants do not have cell phones do they? Yet they find a way to communicate.

Communication

Unity is good. The ants were swiftly moving the crumb from the place I first noticed it, to where it needed to be for the best use. Ants have six legs if I remember science. Yet, sometimes it can be hard for us to get where we are supposed to be with two.

Yet, here were several ants, each with six legs, which you would think would slow them down, (three legged races are not fast, try it) but they somehow were working in complete harmony together to move a foot or two very rapidly.

There had to be some form of communication that had a purpose. They didn’t question it. They worked together to achieve a common goal.

I wonder how different our own personal lives, our churches, our cities would be if we could come together for one common purpose and work together without division?

Would we be able to get our focus together and act as one unit? Or would we still be scattered and traveling in some seemingly random direction, when we are all still seeking the same goal?

Focus

Yes, I still plan to get rid of the ants. I need to. I realize that I do not want my home filled with ants, but for the moment I left them alone. Crazy? Perhaps, considering I will find a way for them to not find them again where they are. But, they were united in a common goal, and they were using the resources they had available to them to achieve it.

I don’t know what communication looks like to an ant. Do they talk? Print pamphlets? Have mental telepathy? Not really sure, but they roam around looking for something, and when they find it, they come together with a common purpose. They have a focus.

Unlike them, many of us seem not to be focused. Just going through life. Our ministries also reflect this.  Sure, we do ‘our thing.’ But we keep going in some random direction trying to achieve the same goal without using what is available to us.

Do we get so focused on what we are doing that we don’t look for help to make the job easier? Or is it just that we don’t communicate well enough?

Tools

Yes, we have our Bibles. Some of us actually read them, and we attempt to share the word with those we meet. We come together once, or maybe a couple more times a week to focus on our purpose but the rest of the time, we seem just to be heading in random directions.

There are methods of communication available but most of us are so used to doing in the same way we always did, and even though it hasn’t worked as well as it could have, we keep going in the same random path.

We need focus. We need communication. We need tools.

We need to reach people where they are. So, where are they?

Nearly every home in the United States has at least one or two cell phones. Most of the phones have options to look  up information on the internet, or are connected through Twitter or Facebook.

Did you know that almost every home has at least one computer, and most homes have two or more? Even some of the most economically depressed areas of our communities has access to a computer at a library or school, if they don’t have a computer in their home.

Yet, only one, out of about fifty apostolic churches has a presence online. Yes, I will repeat that again. 1 in 50 apostolic churches are online.

Considering?

I am not saying you do not reach people, but you are missing a big segment of the population in your area. We head here and there, and do make some change, but we are moving slow, when we could be reaching the people where they are. And we could do it twenty-four hours a day.

Studies indicate that businesses are losing 75% of their business by not having a website online. Can you imagine that? They are only reaching 25% of their potential if they do not use a resource that really is available to all of us.

It works for ministries too. Imagine if you were reaching 75% more people than you are now?

Those who decide to take advantage of the tools available; website, Twitter, Facebook, have repeat business of 43% of those who come visit them.

Think about that in relation to your ministry.  If you reached 75% more people, and 43% became full time members of your church, how big of an impact would that have on your community? How many more people could be reached if your church was 43% bigger right now? Working together in unity, just how effective could your ministry be?

The ants achieved their purpose by working together. Individuals? Yes, but they knew how to use the resources and capabilities together to achieve a common goal. No longer just random hits here and there but accomplished task.

Consider the Ant.

If you are interested in talking to us about how having a website, social media account, or other services that will help impact your ministry we invite you to contact us. We can help you bring your resources together in one place to achieve the goals you have.

You can reach us by contact here.

Or you can also find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter for discounts and special exclusive offers for our followers.

God Bless You!

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!

The Macarena, Mello Yello, Silly Putty, and the Edsel. Most of us have heard those words before, but we may not remember what they are. Maybe they are faint memories in our minds, but perhaps we remember them fondly and wonder what happened to the day when it was common.

It wasn’t really that long ago for the Macarena, and yet I am sure if you ask some people today what the Macarena was, they probably think you add cheese or some tomato sauce to it.  It was a song and a dance, or actually hand and body movements.

It was very well known in the late 1990s and even the most sheltered person had heard mention of it, or had done it themselves. But here we are just a few years later, and its not in our minds anymore unless we are part of the few who may look back and smile and try and do it. It is merely a memory for most, and a word for others but they aren't sure what it means. For a few of those words, even the spell check on my computer thought I had misspelled some other word.

Is that how we see the church? Is that how your ministry is thought of?  Does it still have an impact like it used to? I remember when….

Sound familiar?

There was a day when everyone knew where the church was and what they taught. There was a day when many of us were  made fun of and called holy rollers, but when tragedy struck, it was the holy rollers they called for prayer.

We used to knock doors and pass out tracts. Many times we didn’t even advertise in the newspaper because we were active in the community and people knew who we were and where to find us. We were known for all night prayer meetings, joyful singing, sometimes having services where bobby pins were flying, and in almost every church there was that one sister who would wail and moan like a fire engine.

We were the church where everyone secretly wondered about, but  it was so different from every where else they wouldn’t be caught dead in our services. We were outcasts but everyone knew where we were.

Now if you go into just about any city, there isn't an apostolic church or no one knows where it is. Most of us were called Pentecostal then, but now when you mention Pentecostal everyone’s thoughts, including our own,  is about the charismatic churches where they jump, shout, maybe get the holy ghost, but bless God, they are not like we are. Hmmm, same message, same Jesus, maybe even same holy ghost baptism, yet, because we aren’t sure about them, they don’t have the truth. Yet, the people in the community know where that church is, just like they used to know where we were.

Who is there?

When we talk about marketing the ministry, our first instinct is to back away. It sounds like a foreign concept to us, or maybe something that isn’t quite right. We preach soul winning in our churches, but we don’t knock doors, most don’t teach bible studies, and whether or not we admit it, most of us do not testify at work. Oh sure, if someone asks us where we go to church we may tell them, and we may pray for them if we hear of their trials and tragedies, but to actually walk up to a person and talk to them about Jesus? ‘No way! I could lose my job. They might think I am weird.’

The bible likens soul winning to planting a garden, but generally we consider soul winning an individual thing. ‘Its Brother Bebop's job to win people to God, after all he seems to always bring someone.’

However, how many private gardens have you seen where there is only one plant growing? Usually there is several of one type, and its repeated with lots of other plants, flowers,  or vegetables. We produce after our own kind, so I am asking what is in your garden? It is the whole church’s responsibility to plant, water, take care of, and harvest the crops. God never intended one person to do it themselves. The scripture even says, ‘one plants, one waters, and God gives the increase.’ Our churches should be a mixture of all kinds of people in all stages of growth.

However, we have become complacent in our active ‘ministry.’ We are comfortable with just those who seem to know where our church already is. It is just too much effort to actually do something ourselves, and of course, they should all 'look like’ me.

Just today while returning from a trip to the store it was pointed out to me by someone with me that they had seen two groups of Jehovah Witnesses out knocking doors. I saw a couple of guys at someone's door, but honestly whether or not they were JW, Mormon, or someone else I cannot be sure, but I do know they were no one I recognized, so they weren't part of my sphere of Christianity.

We know what ‘our group’ looks like and sadly, we seem to ignore everyone else, even those that used to be a part of us. We make assumptions on their level of godliness based on rumors, our own ideas, and the way they look.

Chances are they don’t even know we are a Christian, let alone where our church is. So what do we do to change that?

Marketing Your Ministry

Marketing seems like such a foreign concept to us. We have all these ideas of what it might be, but when it comes to ministries and churches it is really very simple. A few of the ideas below you might actually recognize.

• Door Knocking – well no one does that anymore
• Bake Sale – not those in the lobby of the church but actually in the community
• Spaghetti Dinner– let them know you are there, even if you are taking up donations for some mission, charity, or celebration
• Car Wash – raise money for youth events instead of taking it from the parents
• Home Bible Study – we preach it but do we do it?
• Advertise in Newspaper, TV, or Radio – we are here to reach the lost right?
• Church website, postcards, prayer request cards, funeral services – you get the idea

This list could go on and on, but to me it is sad that most of us think marketing our ministry is going to cost a lot of money, but most of the above would actually raise money or at least tell people we exist. It is much easier than most of us are willing to admit.

So what really is the problem?

Well if we are honest, it only comes down to one of two reasons. Or perhaps both.

1. We are lazy.
2. We don’t care about souls.

That’s it!

Yes, I work as a graphic designer. I can give you a good deal on a website, printable marketing items for your ministry, helping you create a Facebook presence,  but to me its more than about the few dollars I would receive. It is about the souls and my desire for them to know Jesus like I do.

If you are really interested in seeing more souls saved and what you can do to change the image of your ministry, then contact me and lets have a conversation. Consultations  and quotes are always free. You might be surprised how affordable my services are, but you might also learn that reaching into your community isn't as hard as you thought.

Isn't it time you made an effort in Marketing Your Ministry?

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. Rev. 3:20

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These past couple of weeks have flown by and its already two weeks into a new year. It seems as if days are less than twenty-four hours lately, because there never seems to be enough time to get everything done we need to do.

Christmas has come and went and 2011 is here and yet we get so far behind it seems it will be Christmas again before we catch up on everything. Sometimes, life just gets in the way of our plans. But it is a new year, a new time to reflect on the past, and time to start over and make this year better than the last.

We all do it, at least subconsciously, and yet we never seem to complete the task. What am I talking about? New Year’s resolutions of course. Usually by a couple weeks into the year we have already broken our resolutions at least somewhat.

I started on another blog post about resolutions but it became so large that I have decided to offer it instead as a book. Yes, a real book. I will probably make it available as well in formats suitable for e-book readers, free for a limited time.  I will do my best to keep the costs down in printed format because I truly believe it contains principles that is vital for making ministries grow and blossom into the revival we all want. Stay tuned for that! In fact, bug me about it if you do not hear about it soon. :)

Did You Accomplish All You Wanted in 2010?

I know I didn’t. Not only in my personal life, but in doing things for God that I had made great strides toward. Sometimes, it is difficult looking back over a year and seeing the places we have slipped and the trials and tests that have come our way. Maybe we have lost friends or loved ones, perhaps a job, or maybe even our home.

It can be very gloomy at times to reflect back on the year if things did not work out the way we planned.  I have to admit there were situations that arose in my life last year that, while I did not cause them to happen, hurt me in many ways and really tested my faith. Sometimes our dreams even when we are serving God can come crashing down around us.

We can begin the new year thinking about all that we went through and be sad about it, or we can look at the fact that it is a new year and start again. It is much more productive if we take the lessons we have learned and make this year even better. That is my hope for 2011. I want to accomplish more for God this year and get a fresh outlook on new possibilities in my life rather than being weighed down by the past.

Quit Crying Over Spilled Milk

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.    

Lamentations 3:22-23

With God, we only have to wait until tomorrow to find new mercies. Isn’t that amazing? There are  situations we find ourselves in where we may have let down our guard or even failed in our walk, and it can be very trying on our mind. But the bible says ‘his mercies are new every morning.’ In a sense he is saying, ‘quit moping about what happened yesterday.’ It is a new day, move on and do better.

The Apostle Paul talked about dying daily. While he did not mean we need to take our life, he meant that the sins or problems we got ourselves into, we need to just repent about it, forgive ourselves, and move on.

I used to have a friend that his wife came to God, but he did not for quite a while. He was a nice guy. He would give the shirt off his back to anyone, and you could always find him doing something to help other people. He seemed like the perfect person to be in church, but the only times he came was for Christmas programs or Easter. Unfortunately, many are like that.

However, he started trying to come more for his little boy and before long he was always there. He would sing the songs, fellowship after church, always go to the altar and pour out his heart to God, but it took a few months before he got the Holy Ghost. He was so excited. He started getting rid of anything in his life that he felt was not pleasing to God.

I sat by him at church camp. It had only been a couple weeks since he prayed through, and you would have thought he had served God his whole life. He whooped, shouted, sang, and danced with the best of them. He was so thrilled that he had God in his life. It was a great thing to see. He even talked some about maybe becoming a preacher in his little town. Whether he meant as a pastor, or just being a witness I do not know.

However, about two weeks after church camp, one of his old friends had lost someone, and was going fishing and he was invited along. He went with the intention of being a comfort and a witness to his friend.

However, out there on the water it was hot and the fish were few and far between, and his friend offered him a beer. Without thinking about it, he drank it. It was what he had always done before he was saved.

He missed church that following Sunday morning but managed to make it to the evening service but it was obvious something was wrong. Over a few short weeks, he stopped coming, him and his wife started having problems in their marriage, and before you knew it, they were separated and the excitement and vigor he had about God was gone.

I spent a lot of time working with him, praying, talking, just hanging out, but it became clear to me after a few weeks that he wasn’t coming back to church. I struggled it with it very hard, and one day after several weeks I asked him why he stopped and he told me about the beer.

I tried to explain to him that he could just ask forgiveness, that no one was going to blame him, but in the end he could not forgive himself. He could not come to terms with the fact that God forgives, even when we struggle to do so ourselves.

His mercies are new every morning!

Too many times we get caught up in a situation that takes us down a path we never intended to go. We can keep on that path knowing that it leads to trouble, or we can get up and brush ourselves off and switch lanes.  I have seen so many people over the years that are on fire for God, some with even a definite call to the ministry and some circumstance comes up and before you know it, they are out the door.

Oh, sure, they still love God. They are still good people. But many times, they rationalize their change in behavior as ‘God still understands.’ I agree he does, but he has set before us life and death, and it is up to us to choose life. We all have situations in our lives that can knock us down, but we have to keep in mind that his mercies are new every morning!

And here we are a brand new year. Not just a new day, but a whole year ahead of us! What are we going to do with it? Become new! Start fresh. Make this year the best of your life so far.

As a reminder, I have included downloadable links to a new twitter background below. It is free and available just for reading this article. How is that for a deal?

DOWNLOAD

• jpg version
• png version (higher quality)

Please note: These Twitter backgrounds are set for the NEW format Twitter pages at @1440 x 900 pixels.

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!