Case Study: The Q-Drive Youth Ministry Website
Check out my church’s Youth Ministry’s new website — Q-Drive.
Here are some details about the site:
- Site is managed using Blogger via their FTP publishing option.
- Template is a tweaked version of Blogger’s Minima template (one of my favorites).
- Total cost: Roughly $9 for domain name. (Our hosting plan includes unlimited hosting of unique domain names.)
- It’s still in beta … we’re still tweaking it.
- I’m hoping to optimize it for search engines.
- We’re using FeedBlitz as a free email newsletter. Our youth pastor posts to the blog, FeedBlitz sees it and sends it out.
- We’re using categories (like For Parents) to distinguish posts for different audiences.
- Flickr is making photo galleries a breeze!
- Tobin Jackson rocks! (Yes, he’s our rockin’ youth pastor!)
Why I Blog … and On Being Snowed In
Although I had seen Mark Batterson’s post “Why I Blog,” when I saw and read Brenton’s similar post, I thought I’d chime in and be a copycat.But before I answer the “Why I Blog” question … I want to show you part of Brenton’s answer. It’s an excellent example (maybe even a definition for personal blogging) of how any Christ-follower could use blogs:
“One reason I blog is because blogging is an easy way for me to record, review, research and recall the things I am learning and the ways I am growing.”
4 Low-Cost Online Printers to Check Out
Money and budgets are always issues for churches (at least the ones I’ve been involved with).
So I thought I’d throw out some low-cost online printing companies I’ve used or heard about …
Merry Christmas! CCP on Vacation!
I’m on vacation for the Christmas holiday (skiing in the mountains of New Mexico!) … if you haven’t subscribed to my email newsletter, do so now and get these free reports:
- NEW! Advice to Blogging Pastors: The Collected Wisdom of 50 Bloggers
- The Blogging Pastor: An Easy Strategy for Starting a Blog
- 8 Great Guest Questions to Answer with Your Web Site
- Public Relations 101 Workshop (MP3 Audio)
Here are some posts from the past for your perusing pleasure!
- 17 Church Marketing Ideas for 2007
- Top 20 Most Innovative Churches — with commentary from CCP
- How to Brand Your Next Sermon Series
- 6 Ideas for Designing Church Logos
- Sermon Podcasting Made Easy — quick and easy way to start a sermon podcast, plus here’s my digital sermon recording kit
- Blogging 101 for Pastors series — a huge series I did that showed how pastors (or any believer) could start blogging with maximum impact and minimal effort
- Building Rockin’ Cool Church Websites series — I’m in the middle of this series that includes tips for churches of all sizes and includes Q&As with great website design firms!
- 6 Essential Tasks of Your Church’s Website — The duties of a good church website
- The Job Description of a Church Communications Director — This could be called the life and times of a church communications pro
- Great Church Guest Giveaway Ideas series — in this four-part series I talk about how churches can use booklets for guest giveaways
- How to Maintain a Youth Ministry Website … Using Just a Blog — My tuturial post and example website
- A Primer on Crisis Management for Churches — Guest contributor Jennifer Anthony writes this outstanding, practical post
- Case Study: How I Promote a Tuesday Night Singles Services — Some example promotional stuff for our singles ministry
My other websites:
- 14six — an evangelical blogging community
- Christian Book Lounge — a blog to discover and discuss great books
- Rockin Cool Website Design
- The Napkin — my newest blog covering marketing ideas, plans, strategies, etc. for businesses and nonprofits. (It’s still in beta.)
- Plus: Check out the Church Communications Bookstore — my recommended church marketing, website design books and more!
Great Graphic Design Tips for $24
I’m always looking for good graphic design ideas and inspiration … one of the magazines I subscribe to is Before & After Magazine. It’s an excellent resource … and for just $24 a year (for the PDF download).
They offer free articles for download … go take a taste test.
Get an Idea Virus Over the Holidays
One of the best books I’ve read on marketing has been Seth Godin’s Unleashing the IdeaVirus.
Here’s your holiday homework:
- Download the free ebook
- Print off the 170-plus pages (or buy the paperback)
- Read it, highlight it, make notes, be challenged, start dreaming and brainstorming
- Then come back to CCP after the break and let’s talk
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