Last week we asked you how your church uses the Internet. Now that all of our e-ballots are in, we have the formal results for you.
Only 31% of you feel your own church web sites are integral to ministry. This is a tiny number. I think some of us might not have realized we could click multiple boxes. Either way, 69% of those polled do not feel their church sites are integral to ministry. Ouch.
19% of you think blogging is essential. This is an encouragingly high number. It really gives churches a way to reveal their pastors’ hearts and passions to non-members. Moving on down, 15% of you think social networking is essential. Again, an area I think we can do better in as a church. These social networking sites are a fantastic tool.
12% of you use YouTube of other video sharing. This is another number that was encouraging to me. Tying YouTube was Google’s importance for ministry. Tell us more–just search? Gmail? Google Docs? Reader? Calendar? What do you use?
93% of you need to get involved in our Church Marketing Lab. I mean, 7% of you are using Flickr or other photo sharing. These are great tools to use to share event photos, get advice on design or show your facilities.
Bringing up the rear are those of you who said the Internet is the devil’s tool (we’re on to your attempts to throw off our perfectly scientific data). 2% of you hadn’t yet thought of using the Internet, and 1% use Squidoo.
We’ve done an entire series on how your church can use new technologies, including specific entries on Flickr, MySpace, Squidoo and online video sites. You can share in the comments how you use these tools and any success stories of how they’ve worked for you.
This week, you can tell us what you think of the discussion-stirring topic of church mascots for children’s ministry.
Aaron McAdam
April 17, 2007
As a former youth pastor, the phenomenon of MySpace was an amazing tool for ministry. (If you are reading this and cringing at the fact I would endorse such a “hive for child predators,” please give me a chance and read on)
90% of my students had a “space.” I could easily communicate with students and convey messages and announcements over bulletin posts and elements on my wife’s and my pages.
I would leave a message on a student’s page in 10 seconds that shows that I care about them and want God’s best for them (in a not so Christianeeze way, but you get the point), and they would tell me that it made their day next time I saw them at youth group.
You can see how your youth are doing by the content and comments on their pages.
Is MySpace a “pedophile’s playground”…maybe they go there, and prey on unsuspecting victims, but if we and the kids’ parents teach them that the internet is a tool, I think that a GREAT deal more of good will come to our students than harm.
…just a thought, since I’ve heard a lot of churches say “MySpace is the Devil” (figuratively).
brad
April 17, 2007
The internet is a great opportunity for the church, and can deploy people’s personal gifting in a whole new way. But not every church needs a website.
I would rather see nothing than a poor example that does nothing to reflect the nature and the culture of the congregation. Ministry (or marketing) can still be done without a website — for example, there are places where internet saturation is remarkably low for whatever reason, and some churches don’t have web-savvy people to help them.
I guess I just hope that this reflects active decisions, rather than inactive ones…
Mean Dean
April 17, 2007
It is somewhat disturbing to me how many churches are still clueless to the entire Enterprise/Web 2.0 paradigm …
… but instead insist on the old ISV model where they employ web sites based on their dogma and polity versus the ever emerging behaviors of an ever socializing web!
I wrote some on this today – as there is much discussion on this topic going on in San Francisco this week at both the Web 2.0 and the SIIA conferences.
st. Mars
April 17, 2007
…I have found that recieving simple mass emails from our church have been a blessing. ( I say this ‘cuz the guy who did all that moved to go to college….& now they aren’t sending out the emails…)
SO, even a simple email can help interupt a bad day by getting us to re-focus ….whether its upcoming special services, prayer needs, or words from the pastor!