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16 Feb

February 16, 2009 |

A domain name is a very cheap piece of cyber real estate. Your church can register a domain for $20 or less per year. This domain can then become the hub for all of your church’s internet communications–your website, your email, a blog, etc. If people know your domain name, they can find you.

However, every year, one or two United Brethren churches lose their domain name.

  • Maybe nobody in the church office understood what the renewal notices were about.
  • Maybe renewal notices were going to somebody who no longer attends, but who originally registered the account.
  • Maybe they just procrastinated too long.
  • Or maybe they just forgot.

Many companies eagerly pounce on lapsed domain names. They like snapping up something with established traffic flow. As a result, the church loses their domain name, which has a variety of ramifications:

  • The church website address no longer works.
  • Email addresses which used that domain no longer work.
  • Business cards, letterhead, and any other printed materials which mentioned those email addresses or the website URL must be reprinted.
  • The church must find a new domain name, which will probably be less satisfactory than the previous one.
  • People who type in the name of the previous domain name will be taken to something totally unrelated to the church–perhaps a porn site.

So, some suggestions:

  1. Make sure you know where the domain is registered.
  2. Try to get the domain directly under the church’s control, rather than in the account of a parishioner.
  3. Make sure your contact information with the registrar is current, so you receive notices when it’s about to expire.

12 Feb

February 12, 2009 |

VideoDaveKline_500.jpg

Technology has its frustrations, but also its amazing sides.

This morning, the Global Ministries staff held a meeting with David Kline in Macau. Four of them gathered around Darlene Burkett’s iMac, and using iChat’s video features, they discussed some financial issues. It was smooth, and free. Here in Huntington, it was 9:30 Thursday morning, but for David, it was 10:30 Thursday night.

David, seeing me enter the scene with my camera, apologized for not combing his hair.

Pictured (l-r): Mabel Mundy (accounting clerk), Darlene Burkett, Jeff Bleijerveld, Donna Hollopeter is out of the photo, on the left. (Sorry, Donna.)

09 Jan

January 9, 2009 |

Bishop Emeritus Wilber Sites, Jr., has improved greatly since Wednesday. He was suffering from congestive heart failure which is now being managed and is under control, and he is headed the right direction. The other complication was an upper respiratory infection (rather than the suspected double pneumonia). The family
greatly appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers at this time, as well as the graciousness of God in Wilber’s life.

09 Jan

January 9, 2009 |

Honduras Conference is meeting right now, and they’ll be electing a new superintendent–possibly today. Francisco Raudales has served in that role since 1996. 

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries, is attending the conference. He’ll be presenting a plaque of recognition and appreciation to Francisco. 

08 Jan

January 8, 2009 |

MaryAnn Hancock of New Hope Church (Camden, Mich.) sent the following:
For the past three years we have given the teachers at Camden-Frontier school (next door to the church) construction paper Christmas ornaments. The teachers write items that they need for their classroom. We hang them on a tree in the church and attendees pick one and purchase the items requested.

Gifts are presented to classrooms along with a candy cane for each child just before Christmas break. We enjoy thanking our teachers for the contribution they make to our community. An added blessing is the thank you notes received from the teachers and many times the children.

10 Dec

December 10, 2008 |

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

And now, one final thought on momentum from Andy Stanley. I promise–no more.

Momentum is never triggered by tweaking something old. It is triggered by introducing something new. Human nature prefers the old to the new. So our default action, when we want to become more effective, is to tweak what we’re already doing. More training, different schedule, new materials, whatever. B-o-r-i-n-g.

Perhaps it would be better to think, “What is something we’re not doing, something not even on our radar, that we should try?”

I think of our new church in Grand Ledge, Mich., which held a Vacation Bible School this summer in a trailer park. Rather than ask people to come to the church for two hours of wonderful programs, they took everything right to their target audience.

Imagine the logistics–equipment, food, shelter in case of rain, etc. But they did it, and people were saved. Such a simple idea that makes imminent sense. And it had never before crossed my mind. 

As one of those computer companies says, Think Different. (And don’t get upset by the missing “ly.”)

08 Dec

December 8, 2008 |

Steve Dennie, Communications Director
Here is another thought on momentum from Andy Stanley, adding to the others I mentioned here.

If you have momentum and you don’t know why–you are one stupid decision away from killing it.

I love my church. But right now, I think my pastor and most of us would agree, Anchor lacks momentum. We’re nowhere close to being a dead, status quo, business-as-usual church, and lots of ministry still happens. But momentum? Not so much, right now.

When Anchor (my church) started over ten years ago, we definitely had momentum. But I’m not sure why. And I’m wondering if we did something to kill it. Did we make a “stupid decision” somewhere along the line? I can’t think of anything offhand, but I’m gonna keep pondering.

Can you point to a stupid decision your church made which, looking back, may account for your lack of momentum?

25 Nov

November 25, 2008 |

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

A few days ago, I mentioned something Andy Stanley said concerning momentum. Here’s another one of his thoughts.

In the church world, we put up with lack of momentum as long as we can still pay the bills.

Now there’s a sad thought. “I am financially viable, therefore I exist.” Is your church in that boat?

Too many churches choose to limp along, keeping the doors open, as long as they can pay the bills. The only momentum is downward. Meanwhile, they shoo away opportunities which would be to their long-term good–like merging with a nearby church. Such a move would make both churches stronger. No longer stuck in survival mode, they could devote resources  to ministry.
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21 Nov

November 21, 2008 |

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

One blog I follow is by Tim Stevens, administrative pastor of Granger Community Church near South Bend, Ind. They’re doing a one-day Catalyst conference, with Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. Stanley began the day by talking about momentum. Stevens provided some notes from that session, including this statement:

Momentum = forward motion fueled by a series of wins.

I’ve been thinking about that in two contexts:

  • the local church (including my own church, Anchor).
  • the United Brethren denomination as a whole.

Throughout my lifetime, I’ve heard people say, especially when things aren’t going well, “What we need is revival.” When things aren’t going well, the answer is the same: revival. That’s true to an extent, and it always sounds exceedingly spiritual, especially when embedded in a prayer. But what does it look like? What exactly are they praying for?

It seems like they’re too often praying for One Big Win, a giant divine intervention that will get everybody doing what they’re supposed to be doing. This does happen, but it’s elusive.

Instead of waiting for revival, what are some small wins my church can pursue? Putting several small wins together is like gradually pushing the accelerator. You build momentum.

At the denominational level, Pat Jones, as Director of Healthy Church Ministries, has been working with a few local churches at a time. He does a weekend consultation, then meets with the pastor once a month for a year. As a result, churches have turned around or been propelled forward. It’s not flashy, but it’s a series of wins.

12 Nov

November 12, 2008 |

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

Huntington University is plunging into the world of online learning. They got their feet wet during the last several years with a Masters in Youth Ministry Leadership. Now, various other courses are being added through the EXCEL adult education program.

goetz_julie_150.jpg

Julie Goetz (right) oversees Huntington University’s online classes. She spent three years working part-time with the online youth program. In June, she came aboard fulltime as the Coordinator of Online Programs. Which means she:

  • Manages and reviews course content.
  • Helps faculty transition their syllabus to an online course (which can be easy or difficult, depending on the course).
  • Trains faculty on how to conduct an online course.
  • Does strategic planning to advance the online programs.
  • Works with LearningHouse.com, which hosts HU’s online classes.
  • And does other stuff. Don’t we all.

Julie is a learner, too. Currently, she’s pursuing a Master of Education with a specialization in “instructional design for online learning.” Sounds relevant, don’t you think? So when online students contact her with questions or problems, she can respond with empathy, since she encounters some of the same issues.
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