Category: design

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MINIMAL IS BETTER THAN MAYHEM

MINIMAL > MAYHEM

This is part 6 of a 10-part blog series on HOW TO GET YOUR MINISTRY ONLINE. You can follow the DIGITAL SKATEPARK tag or go back to the intro post for links out to the rest of the series.

< See the previous post in the series

MINIMAL IS BETTER THAN MAYHEM

If you’re not a designer, don’t pretend to be. If you are unable to find a designer in your community – be content with a simple minimalistic website.

WordPress comes with many great and simple free themes as well as a good range of paid themes at affordable prices.

Christians have been known to perpetually commit the most grievous of design sins: using the universally banned typeface Comic Sans. Youth leaders have likewise committed other design faux pas in choosing and using ugly themes for their websites. Go for simple and minimal.

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REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA // INTERVIEW WITH STEVE FOGG @stevefogg

REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA

I will be presenting a 3 hour Professional Development Seminar at National Youth Ministry Convention 2013 on REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA. In the lead up to NYMC I have a series of interviews with Christians using online mediums in a deliberate way for the Gospel. I have asked the same 4 questions to each guest and there are some fantastic posts coming!

The third guest is Steve Fogg. Steve has some really sharp thinking on how churches and Christians can use social media for the gospel. I enjoyed seeing Steve at work on twitter interacting with the world during The Bible Mini Series and benefitted from his recent blog post on part of his church engagement strategy.
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1) What church and/or ministries are you part of?

I’m the Communications Pastor (read Director) at Crossway church in Melbourne. I oversee all of the communications at the church which also includes leading the following teams creative video, graphic design, Web, PR, and of course my pet passion, Social Media.

2) What ways do you use online mediums in your ministry and witness?

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CREATE AN OFFICIAL “HEADQUARTERS”

pic from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/

This is part 5 of a 10-part blog series on HOW TO GET YOUR MINISTRY ONLINE. You can follow the DIGITAL SKATEPARK tag or go back to the intro post for links out to the rest of the series.

< See the previous post in the series

CREATE AN OFFICIAL “HEADQUARTERS”

It is worth having one website that becomes the official headquarters (HQ) for your ministry.

There are two ways that you could do this:

  1. Your own website e.g. www.youthministryname.com
  2. A section on your church website e.g. www.yourchurchname.com/youth

If you choose to house your HQ on your church website, you will need to talk to those responsible for the site about how to gain access so you can keep the content up-to-date.

If you choose to house your HQ on your own unique youth ministry website, you will need to get it made. You can build it, you can get someone in your church to build it for free or you could pay a designer. Companies like Bridge Element (www.bridgeelement.com) create good-looking ministry websites at a very reasonable price. Likewise you can find others via a search engine or asking other ministries who they had make their website.

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REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA // INTERVIEW WITH STEVE KRYGER @communic8jesus

REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA

I will be presenting a 3 hour Professional Development Seminar at National Youth Ministry Convention 2013 on REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA. In the lead up to NYMC I have a series of interviews with Christians using online mediums in a deliberate way for the Gospel. I have asked the same 4 questions to each guest and there are some fantastic posts coming!

The second guest is Steve Kryger from Communicate Jesus. Steve’s website exists to glorify Jesus by serving his people. He writes from a Christian perspective on the following topics: Websites; Leadership; Social media; Strategy; Church life (giving, volunteer recruitment, welcoming, etc.); Communication; Outreach; and Online safety. I’ve personally benefitted from the resources that he shares and would encourage others involved in ministry to visit Communicate Jesus.
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1) What church and/or ministries are you part of?

I serve as Executive Pastor at Church by the Bridge. I also started Communicate Jesus, and am a regular contributor to Open House on Hope 103.2.

2) What ways do you use online mediums in your ministry and witness?

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SOCIAL MEDIA SOAP OPERA

SOAP OPERA

This is part 4 of a 10-part blog series on HOW TO GET YOUR MINISTRY ONLINE. You can follow the DIGITAL SKATEPARK tag or go back to the intro post for links out to the rest of the series.

< See the previous post in the series

In 2006 MySpace was massive! It was the social network of choice. It died a painful death and was subsequently taken over by Facebook. Close to 1 Billion people in the world actively use Facebook. However, while MySpace try desperately to resurrect their way back into the social network spotlight, some have suggested that Facebook is on the decline. The current teenage generation spend less time on Facebook and more time on mobile apps like Instagram and Snapchat. Add to that people being annoyed by constantly changing policies by Facebook regarding advertising, ownership and privacy.

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REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA // INTERVIEW WITH NATHAN CAMPBELL @NM_CAMPBELL

REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA

I will be presenting a 3 hour Professional Development Seminar at National Youth Ministry Convention 2013 on REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA. In the lead up to NYMC I have a series of interviews with Christians using online mediums in a deliberate way for the Gospel. I have asked the same 4 questions to each guest and there are some fantastic posts coming!

The first guest is Nathan Campbell from St. Eutychus. Nathan is on message in the way that he points people to the good news of Jesus as he intelligently interacts on different social and political issues online. See his most recent post for a fascinating book review on the history of social media.

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1) What church and/or ministries are you part of?

I’m finishing up my time at Queensland Theological College at the end of next year, and in 2014 will be the Campus Pastor of a new inner-city Brisbane campus of the church I’m currently part of – Creek Road Presbyterian Church. I’m also on the Presbyterian Church of Queensland’s “Gospel in Society Today” Committee – we think about how we can speak about Jesus in today’s world, to todays issues. Before college I worked in Public Relations and I love figuring out how to apply truths about communication to communicating the truth.

2) What ways do you use online mediums in your ministry and witness?

Continue reading “REDEEMING SOCIAL MEDIA // INTERVIEW WITH NATHAN CAMPBELL @NM_CAMPBELL”