A great church website is more about ministry than technology. Web-Empower Your Church offers step-by-step guidance to web implementers and other church leaders who are on the exciting journey to building an effective web ministry. Mark's engaging, conversational style makes technology accessible. He offers first-hand advice on every aspect of building an internet ministry: from assembling a team to designing and maintaining the website to adding powerful ministry features. "A first-hand account from one of the true pioneers of online ministry. Anyone interested in online ministry ought to read this book and learn from Mark's example." Andrew Careaga Author, eMinistry: Connecting with the Net Generation "A clear picture on the do's and don'ts of web ministry for churches. A must read for churches who want to effectively engage in web ministry." Walt Wilson Founder and Chairman, Global Media Outreach, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ "Stephenson has truly unleashed the power of internet ministry for your church. If you're looking for a readable and educating book on web-empowered ministry, look no further. This book is it. I can't believe how much I learned from my first reading. I will be returning to the book over and over." Bill Easum President, Easum, Bandy & Associates Mark Stephenson is Director of CyberMinistry and Technology of Ginghamsburg Church, Tipp City, Ohio. He started the Ginghamsburg CyberMinistry back in 1996 as an unpaid servant. Over the years, as the ministry grew, Mark joined the Ginghamsburg staff, first part time and then full time. Currently, Ginghamsburg Church has one of the largest and most innovative church internet ministries in the world, and the ministry remains unpaid-servant based and “home grown” (no outside companies or consultants have been hired). The website has received national acclaim -- from write-ups in the Wall Street Journal to the Dallas Morning News to Christian Computing Magazine, and television stories by WBNS Channel 10 in Columbus, Ohio and on Fox News. Visionary leaders like Bill Easum and Len Sweet champion it as a must-see website. Mark, the “Church CyberGuy,” is also a well-known speaker on CyberMinistry as he conducts presentations and workshops around North America for such organizations as Leadership Network, United Methodist Communications, North American Christian Convention, Brethren in Christ Church of North America, and Miami University of Ohio. Mark has provided consulting support to numerous churches from around the world to help them develop their web ministries. His passion for helping churches led him to start and lead the Web-Empowered Church, a ministry of The Foundation for Evangelism, to develop free web-ministry software for churches and ministries worldwide.

Let Web-Empowered Ministry be your comprehensive guide to building a powerful Internet ministry. --Book Jacket.

The Guidelines booklets, one for each ministry area, are tools that enable you to help get new lay leaders off to a good start. Each booklet includes the basic ""job description"" for the leader as well as practical ""how-to"" information important to implementing ministry effectively. Brief and to the point for the busy, but spirit-led leader, these Guidelines take some of the unknown out of leading these ministry areas. One booklet for each title makes up this set of 26 Guidelines, perfect for making them available to all church members. The twenty-six Guidelines, one for each ministry are.

Local church communication is a ministry that shares the church's story in ways that move people toward becoming disciples of Christ. You are part of a leadership team that brings to life your church's vision and mission. Your role is to be a storyteller and connector, employing communications' practices and tools to share the story of the church in a planned, compelling, accessible way. Your goal is to develop a reliable process for telling and hearing the story in which everyone can participate. This guideline is designed to help you meet this goal. This is one of the twenty-six Guidelines th.

Join three seasoned church-ministry experts on an insider's tour of the most innovative churches today! Discover a dozen types of innovation, each with profiles of congregations that have implemented that innovation. This is more than a show-and-tell tour, however. Each chapter offers a solid take-away for church leaders on how to learn and apply the appropriate innovation profiled. The authors also offer scripturally based assessments of both the positive and negatives implications of implementing each innovation, providing guidance and wisdom. There are many ways to present the gospel, and this timely book will serve as a springboard for church leaders scratching their heads and asking themselves, "What should we do next?" By learning from a dozen different church types, church leaders can become more intentional about exploring new directions and reaching more of the world for Christ.

The Let My People Go handbook is a practical guide to equip churches to love their most vulnerable neighbors. The name, Let My People Go, recalls the words of Moses as he spoke to those who had enslaved his people. Moses called for holistic freedom, freedom from physical and spiritual bondage. It's the authors' prayer that this guide would help you and your church take up this mantle of liberty in your community. Human trafficking is the exploitation of vulnerability for commercial gain. Lmpg wants to empower your church to fight human trafficking by loving those most vulnerable around. In this curriculum, you will be given the tools to address the vulnerabilities in your church and outside of your church in a way that is congregational & collaborative with the gospel As its motive.

Digital is a confusing concept, and many churches struggle to understand it, with most limiting their digital experience to streaming their church services and nothing more. In this book, you’ll learn how to think strategically about digital strategy and how to best integrate digital ideas into your church that align with your ministry’s in-person objectives. The goal is to disciple more people and not just get an online audience. Readers of this book will learn to cut through the hype and discern the most critical, high-level concepts and find practical ideas they can implement in their church. You’ll walk away with a vision and a pathway to take your church’s digital strategy to the next level and beyond just streaming a church service. Table of Contents First This Chapter 1: Think Digitally Chapter 2: Thief and Tower Chapter 3: Understand the Objective Chapter 4: Knowing Your Audiences Chapter 5: Picking Your Approach Chapter 6: Deciding Your Structure Chapter 7: Creating Digital Space (The 4 S’s) Chapter 8: Power of Online Small Groups Chapter 9: Getting More People Engaged in Digital Strategy Chapter 10: Measuring Digital Chapter 11: Streaming Church? Chapter 12: Understanding the Gap Chapter 13: House Churches Connected to Online Chapter 14: Friction Is a Good Thing Chapter 15: The Future Final Thoughts Appendix 1: Next Step Questions Appendix 2: Saddleback Church’s Online Church Model Endorsements “I don’t know anyone else who has had more experience and understanding of the strengths and limitations of a local church digital ministry than Jay Kranda. As the online pastor of Saddleback Church for years, Jay built our digital platform and community from the ground up. Then, during the crazy COVID years, Jay kept improving our online presence when it was our lifeline to our congregation around the world. Now, post-COVID, he keeps figuring out new ways to wisely use digital channels to supplement face-to-face evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship. Jay is truly the authority on this subject—just ask other churches and they’ll tell you. This book is essential to understanding the great capabilities, the inherent weaknesses, and the common mistakes churches make with digital ministry.” Rick Warren, Author, The Purpose Driven Life “The first online pastor I met was Jay. That was before online church even existed for the rest of us. Ten years later and he’s still leading the charge.” Brady Shearer, Creator of Pro Church Tools and Nucleus “Jay Kranda’s experience and insight combined with his love for the church is without compare. This is your go-to guide for the digital future of the church.” Will Mancini, Author, Future Church: Seven Laws of Real Church Growth “For anyone grappling with questions about the role of technology in religion, Online Church Is Not the Answer is essential reading. This book is not merely a critique of online church; it is a call to action, a manifesto for reimagining the ways in which we engage with our faith in an increasingly digital world. Kranda’s thoughtful reflections prompt readers to confront their assumptions and embrace a more holistic approach to spiritual growth—one that embraces both the benefits of technology and the irreplaceable value of face-to-face community.” Chris Heaslip, Founder of Pushpay and Entrepreneur

We’re all touched by angels! Angels take on many shapes and forms—some familiar, some otherworldly, and some that we don’t even recognize as angels. Empowering Your Life with Angels shows readers how to recognize the angel in their life, and the possibilities this presents. This volume includes exercises and meditations for utilizing angel-guidance in love, work, and health; explores how to communicate with angels through dreams and other techniques; how to heal emotions with the help of angels; and much more. • “Do You Believe in Angels?” was a Larry King Live panel discussion in August 2004 featuring Sylvia Browne, Mattie Stepanek, minister and novelist Max Lucado, and Father Michael Manning, a Roman Catholic priest • Readers of books on angels, afterlife, and spirit guides will love this book

Moms and dads—here it is at last! A quick, sweeping overview of MySpace: what it is, how it works, and why it is so important to your teen. You’ll find out how to address important issues with your teen in a way that strengthens your relationship and resolves conflicts.Whether you’re computer illiterate or a seasoned web surfer, MySpace for Moms and Dads will help you understand the social networking revolution and equip you to make smart, confident decisions about your son’s or daughter’s use of MySpace and sites like it.Learn how to minimize the risks of MySpace and bring out its benefits and positive opportunities. You can not only ensure that your teen uses MySpace safely, but also use MySpace yourself to gain a window into your teen’s world. Find out how to tailor your teen’s use of MySpace to his or her present maturity level—and deepen your appreciation of the unique individual your son or daughter is in the bargain.Includes complete glossary, discussion starters, fun quizzes, negotiation helps for you and your teen, and resources with complete contact information including non-web and web addresses.

Since the 1980s people have been writing about the indigo children. Today, many believe that nearly 80 percent of all children born are indigos. These are exceedingly creative, high-energy, perceptive kids who often don’t fit in. They seem to have an awareness that is light years beyond their age and quite often they are labeled as ADD, ADHD, or ODD when in actuality they are, in the words of the Dosicks, simply “children of spirit.” What sets this book apart from other books is that it approaches the issues facing indigos on a spiritual-energetic rather than purely cognitive level, and it is prescriptive, teaching a specially developed set of games that can help heal indigo children both in their own bodies and in their earthly relationships. Here the Dosicks name seventeen particular emotional wounds indigos hold in their bodies and give specific exercises for healing each one. The games have proven enormously helpful to these often-troubled kids—even preteens and teenagers. They celebrate the children’s different ways of perception and calm their agitation. The games involve some hands-on healing techniques, some scripted meditations, and other quick and simple techniques. Each game takes no more than two minutes to play, and this book features 101 black-and-white photographs showing parents exactly how to use the practices.