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?

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

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

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

Breaking down the iPad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The souls factor of iPad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Choosing your domain name is just as important.

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

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

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

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

It makes it much easier for them to FIND YOU.

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

So what then?

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

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

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

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