PLUGINS
For those working on a WordPress platform (WordPress.com or WordPress.org), plugins play an essential part in setting up and maintaining your site. It certainly can be confusing to new bloggers and even those of us who have been blogging for years.
Those working with Blogger don't have to worry about Plugins since everything is provided by the Blogger program. It is the perfect program for those with little time to invest in a website or blog, like pastors.
The OurChurch.com blog has an article on evangelism and social networking where they evaluate and link to a recent PBS article.
John Saddington of ChurchCrunch, was one of those interviewed in the PBS article and points out:
“One of the nice things about social media is that it establishes a two-way conversation… Instead of blaring our faith into people’s faces, we can use blogs and social media to dialogue.”
The social media really does make it possible to naturally share your life and faith with your friends and relatives. A genuine tool for evangelism.
The following 10 commandments came from a conference of Godblogs in the Uk held by the Evangelical Alliance. The gathering of Christian bloggers gave the conferees an opportunity to network and think through a Christian approach to blogging.
The ten cyberspace commandments:
-You shall not put your blog before your integrity.
-You shall not make an idol of your blog.
Images are one way to dress up your blog and set it apart from millions of others that feature only text. They say that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, advertisers have proved that proverb a long time ago and have taken it to another level.
Note: Free web hosts like Blogger and WordPress.com only allow a limited amount space and images take up a lot, so care should be taken to use pictures and images sparingly.
With pictures and images mixed into your posts, you can create greater interest in your viewers to actually read your posts. Images and pictures definitely improve a post and can also help you take your blog to the next level.
Here's a quote from an article that used to be available on line but no longer is. I believe it says it all why Youth Ministers need to have some kind of web presence on a website, blog, or social media:
From JoeRBennett formerly of Churchsmo blog:
"So why do Youth Ministers need to be online?
The answer is simple – because that’s where your students spend a lot of their time. The Internet is a mission field in and of itself. You have an opportunity to connect with students in a whole new way.”
Amen!
Here is an article published in Charisma Leader Magazine: “Got Blog”, by John Brandon. It is a short article to help ministers get started blogging. The three main topics:
1. Why Blog?
The writer gives good reasons why someone in the ministry might consider blogging as an extension of their ministry.
From DailyBlogTips– by Donny: “10 Things Your Blog Doesn’t Need”
1. Auto-Music
2. Animated Gifs
3. Tiny Type
For a long time I didn’t really know the differences between audio sermons or audio teaching and podcasting. They seemed the same to me since the production tech is similar and both could be downloaded off of a website.
Lots of churches and ministries have ‘audio sermons’ and ‘audio studies’ but the best podcasting programs are really a different animal and more like a regular radio program in format.
I believe that when it comes to integrity, Christians on the internet should be above reproach and demonstrate truth and grace in everything that we do.
When I started blogging I couldn’t even spell ‘etiquette’ much less practice it on my new blog but I did try to learn the best procedures by observing the best. Along the way I naturally picked up some important do’s and don’ts—a lot by just experiencing stuff that I didn’t like others doing to me.
I started thinking about some of my experiences over the years when it comes to negative comments and criticisms made on my blogs. Particularly those made when I first started blogging 17 years ago:
