Church identity resources

Creating and using a church identity, also known as "branding", is a sign that a church is "serious" about public relations. Branding is not just for businesses. Churches reap benefits from applying the same principles that help business with their "identity".

Branding both answers the question, "Who are we?" (by use of a meaningful logo), and provides a consistent look that people begin to associate with your specific local church.

Church identity is not just producing and using a new logo. It includes the whole consistent "look" of your church products, both printed and electronic. Fonts used, font sizes, colors, even shapes of products can all be a part of a consistent identity.

Below are some typical church products in the two basic categories and can benefit from a consistent branding.

Print media

• Stationery
• Intra-office memos and note paper
• Newsletters
• Worship bulletins (where used)
• In-pew materials
• Brochures 
• Post cards
• Pamphlets and leaflets
• Flyers & posters
• Door hangers
• Print ads
• Ad-type banners
• Business cards
• Give-away products (mugs, for example)

Electronic media

• Emails from church staff
• Emailed news, notes, or similar publications where the email itself is the publication
• Web sites of all types -- including blogs
• Videos
• Projected materials (for services, classes, or meetings)
• Online ads
• Online business locators (such as Google, which lets you associate a photo with your church's map location and with your business information)

To make good use of funds people give to further God's work on earth, look for free online resources. One example is a free class on identity by Hewlett Packard. You have to sign up, but it's free.

A few online identity resources toget you started...

• Branding? For churches?
• Church branding
• Identity (branding) postings at this blog
• Creating a distinctive identity (online class by HP)
• Five Reasons Why Missional Churches Cannot Ignore Identity Branding
• Unity Church Marketing blog ("church identity" labels)

A couple image searches you can use for logo inspiration...

• Church logos (Bing image search)
• Church identity (Bing image search)

Blogs influence traditional web sites

"Increasingly, web users also expect ordinary websites to have blog-like fresh comment and news too."
- Christian Blog Evangelism

A church with a small web site may do well to use a Blog plus a few static pages.  The free Google Blogger now lets you add up to 10 static pages to a blog.

If your church has bought a hosting package that includes RSS feeds , consider adding a teasers to them on the home page to blogs (pastor, youth director, ..)

If you have static web pages for your main site, consider adding home page links to any dynamic content you may have -- such as blogs or photos.

Selecting a web hosting service

Web Designs From Scratch has a near-realtime comparisons of hosting services' uptime and support.

This could prove quite helpful in selecting a web host.

While checking out web hosting companies recently, I noticed that it pays to carefully compare options by any one company. In one case, a Linux server hosting would get you a free blog or two compared to the Windows server option. But then you lost a feature or two that got offered with Windows hosting.

Also, make sure you check on whether web statistics come with a package or not.  You'll want the stats to help you learn where you are effective, what people are searching for, and more.

Church web site templates

Finding really good web page templates for your church can be frustrating. You want one that is strict XHMTL 4.01, pure CSS -- no use of tables for layout, one that is attractive, yet a look that accurately reflects your congregation.

Depending on your web hosting service, you may not be able to change the menu links area other than to specify the name and URL for the existing "buttons" or links.  Make sure to check out all aspects of any website building software offered by a web host.

Using stock photos may add eye appeal but actually be misleading. Here are a few of the templates I've been checking out when looking for a possible new, reasonably priced web hosting solution.

• http://church-webs.com/new-templates.htm
• http://readychurchwebs.com/rcw/startdesign.htm?catid=religion

More web empowering of the church

More bullets of points made by Mark Stephenson (Ginghamsburg Church) in his online video

Empowering sermons

• Video
• Audio

Empowering discipleship

• E-learning
• Teaching the staff
• Bible Study
• Sunday School
• WEC Flash allows video plus slides

Empowering connection

• Blogs (pastor, youth leaders ... "All youth leaders should think about having a blog", ...)

Devotions, Journaling

• Daily scripture
• Devotional or study
• EMail option

Web Empowering Your Church

Mark Stephenson at Ginghamsburg Church, Tipp City, OH, gives an online Video and synchronized slide presentation, "Web-Empowering the Church".

It's quite good, but plan on spending time -- it's over an hour of streaming video.

The Web-Empowered Church

I pulled some key points from the online video by Mark Stephenson about the Web Empowered Church (WEC) ...

The big 3 pluses of WEC

• Automate ministry processes.
• Store information for easy, immediate access.
• Connect with people anytime from anywhere in the world.

WEC Goals: expand, increase, extend

• Expand evangelism, discipleship, and care.
• Increase ministry efficiency and effectiveness.
• Extend ministry beyond the church walls.

Other points, tips, and ideas

• Web be more cost-effective communication than nearly any other media type. You can fund a web site for a year for the cost of a few mailings from the church.
• You can start with volunteers. The first 1,000 pages at the Ginghamsburg site were done by unpaid servants. The site is now at 4,000 pages, including several years' of text and video of sermons.
• You can minister to people worldwide 24 hours a day.
• You can get the word out immediately.
• Easy 24 x7 member participation (emails; online discussions -- IM, chat, discussion boards, "communities", blogs; ).
• The Web-empowered Church (with a capital C) is NOT a replacement for a physical church. The Internet cannot hug, love, or think.
• Connect people in need with those who can address the need, including requests for help in the community.
• Community Prayer Exchange (Prayer Line = one-to-one). In a community Prayer Exchange, you'll need to address the need of some people to submit a prayer request anonymously.
• "Post a thought or Prayer" -- adds to online display. This is most posted-to page on the Ginghamsburg site.
• Servant connector. List opportunities, then let people check blocks and submit -- match talents to needs.

Branding - advertise your web site

Some people get annoyed when asked to adopt "standards" for church print and electronic publications.  But churches need to use such "branding" to establish a standard church "identity".

Here are some places you really need to make sure your web address is on all communications, including:

• Business cards
• Church bulletins
• Worship inserts
• Emails (add in the "signature" area)
• Church publications (brochures, newsletters, flyers, ...)
• Letterheads
• Promotional materials
• Advertising
• Signs

Also remember that if you do not need a "www." at the start of your web address, leave it off! Keep it as simple as possible.  A shorter address is easier to recall.

Chart your local area

A mapping site called maps.huge.info can yield some useful data for your church. You can easily find the Postal ZIP codes within a specified radius of your church address, for example.

The radius search is a Google Maps mashup that uses a polygon to approximate a circle and displays ZIP Code area results graphically on the interactive map. You can drag the green radius indicator to change it or you can use the text box to change it.

The results also display brief demographics about the area selected. One example -- a couple of demographics for the ZIP codes found within a 3-mile radius of Avondale Pattillo UMC:

• Year 2008 Households: 69,019 (est.)
• Year 2000 Households: 62,142

The following postal areas were found within that 3-mile radius:

• Avondale Estates
• Clarkston
• Decatur
• Scottdale
• Stone Mountain

"So what?", you say.

Let's be clear ... the more you know about the area around your church and the people who live there, the better you can serve your local community. Use the ZIP Code maps to consider where to "aim" mailouts or decide in which communities to seek to enter event (calendar type) information? Locate emailed newsletters or online calendars that serve the areas within your selected radius. Then contact the publication editor and find out how to get in their pub or on their calendar. This Google mashup can help you better target your external communications.

Trying to decide on a door-to-door evangelism-related effort? Use these maps to spark discussion on which local areas to go into.

Online ZIP Code mapping programs can also visually identify which parts of other ZIP Code areas are near you. Remember, different areas within a ZIP Code may have different demographics than the ZIP Code area as a whole.

Speaking of demographics, combine online demographic data for ZIP codes near your church with knowing what parts of which ZIP Codes are in the radius you wish to primarily serve.

• Selected ZIP Codes by radius (at maps.huge.info)
• Demographic U.S. Census information by ZIP Code (example is Zip Code 30002)
• U.S Census map: Percentage of Black or African-American (for Zip Code 30002)

Ministry Marketing

"Ministry Marketing". Yuk. I hate the taste of "Marketing" in my mouth when applied to church. Yet the "Ministry Marketing Coach" blog has tons of excellent ideas and tips. Here are just a few:

• Avoiding five direct mail mistakes
• Tips for more appealing & effective communications
• Things to do before advertising
• Is your outreach purpose-driven?
• Watch your language!
• Tips for your First Impressions (Greeter) Ministry
• Population trends that will impact your ministry

You can't have it all

Rarely do churches have the staff, volunteers, and funds to do absolutely everything they'd love to. The applies in the web communications as well as other traditional committee areas. So what do you do? You prioritize the work. But how do you do that and involve church members as well as staff.

Below are thoughts about getting fresh ideas and then prioritizing web work using brainstorming:

• Open a session with the understanding that your church cannot do everything it would like to.
• Brainstorm ideas for web communications of all sorts.
• Use a session moderator, one good at encouraging ideas.
• Adopt rules:
• All ideas are welcomed.
• Phrase ideas as positive ones.
• No discussion during this first phase -- just generate tons of ideas.
• Let others' ideas spur you to related ones.
• Don't criticize any idea given. Ideas at this stage may not even be practical, and may be "far out". The aim is a ton of ideas, some of which you'll end up using.
• Ignore whether your church currently has the resources to implement an idea or not. That analysis comes later.
• Set a time limit for brainstorming (30 - 40 minutes, maximum).
• Collect all ideas. One way is to use paper or a large "dry erase board" to record all ideas.
• Use one main collection method. One is a "limb and branch" approach [I forget the technical term] ... draw lines and mark the ideas above the lines. Fan out lines that are related. This actually helps spur ideas! [Anyone who knows the technical term -- post here for the benefit of all.]
• Categorize the ideas (some may fit in more than one category).
• Ask group members what categories (groupings) they see in the ideas.
• Jot down each possible grouping.
• Ask the group to assign actions to the first category.
• Record the responses.One way is to use a different colored dry erase marker for each category, then place "bullets" of that color next to each action associated with the category.
• Move to the next category, and continue till done.
• Record the final results (a digital photo of a dry erase board might work).
• Prioritize ideas
• Do a first cut at prioritizing the categories.
• Do a first cut at prioritizing the actions in each category.
• Disregard available resources at this time. That comes next.
• If the group deems an idea way too "far out" to be done at this time, mark it and put it in a "set-aside" group for now. Always keep ideas. You never know when today's "far out" idea will become practical.
• Analyze categories and actions
• Consider privacy aspects to each action.
• Consider security aspects to each action.
• List any resources needed to accomplish each action.
• Resources include people, time, and things (equipment, web hosting, web developer, etc.)
• List which resources your church already has.
• List which resources should be easy to get.
• List which resources may be very hard to get. Nothing is impossible, but look at the effort-versus-benefit of each "very hard to get" resource.
• Discuss alternative ways and approaches to getting hard-to-get resources. Conference funding? Temporary seminary student help? Grants?
• Agree on which actions should be postponed due to resource constraints.
• Re-examine the priorities in light of security, privacy, and available resources.
• Finalize initial milestones
• Acknowledge that people need to accomplish some actions that they just like to do, regardless of priority.
• Keep the web communications workers happy, motivated, and engaged.
• Re-examine priorities and establish short-term milestones.
• Plan early milestones that will be easy to accomplish -- you need some "wins" fairly fast to keep morale and excitement up
• Agree on how and when to next meet.
• Decide of you want an "email meeting" to add ideas that post-session thoughts and discussion may generate.
• The next meeting should address progress, resource challenges, future resource needs, any changes needed to existing milestones, and any possible milestones for other actions.

Decide on the type of meeting format. Meetings could be in person, via email message exchanges, or a web meeting. Explore options. Seek variety -- keep interest up.

Google's custom search engine

Google now has a "Custom Search Engine". You add code on any web page that immeditely adds a special search box. The key is that Google focuses searches on all sites linked on that page.

Possible uses:

• Search blogroll sites.
• Search based on a web page's theme, as shown by sites the page links to.
• Search focused on the links in a links collection page such as "Religion Resources".

Example use

Churches with topic-related pages that also include "Resource" links, "Related sites" links or similar on a page now get added value from a customized search. On a Missions page, for example, the custom search will let a visitor focus a search on any Mission-related sites linked on that page. So each different topic page -- for example worship, youth, and stewardship -- will result in different search results depending on what links appear on those pages.
This seems to be the replacement for the old "Site-flavored search" beta, which no longer works.

This also appears to be a great reason to add links of interest to the topical area of a church web page. Added value to visitors means happier visitors.

Criteria for a new web host

Our church is looking at web hosting options. One criterion is to let an average person maintain the web. A second key criterion is to be able to "touch the code" if we have a person capable of doing that.

Below is the long list of criteria we're using to compare web hosting solutions and site builder type options:

• Offers a Content Management System (CMS) and templates suitable for our church's use. The CMS should let nearly everyone (with minimal orientation) add, edit, or delete text, add or delete images, create or delete pages, and upload files.Templates must be pure CSS -- no use of tables for layout.
• XHTML templates are preferred, though XML is OK as long as layout and CSS can be directly edited. (I'm resisting having to devote enough time to learn XML coding for very little benefit -- I won't use it at work, for example.)
  
• Ability to directly edit the code as well as use the CMS.
• Must allow addition of alternate text and/or titles to image code (for accessibility).
• Ability to upload files via FTP or via Web.
• Absolutely no ads or forced frames with hosting company info showing.
• Templates must allow inserting of multiple-level CSS fly-out menus -- horizontal or vertical or both. Single-level menus are not good enough, if we're going to improve the navigation, which we intend to do.
• The web hosting company must be an established one.
• 24 x 7 support. Email is OK, though phone is better.
• Hosting firm has good ratings (when I can find them).
• A very high percentage web server uptime.
• Offers hosting on Windows 2003 server (in order to keep our options open).
• The hosting package includes room for our web to grow (pages/disk space)
• Offers at least 30 email addresses, auto-forwarding, POP access, and Spam filtering.
• Hosting solution is $300 or less per year. (E-Zekiel is way out of our price range for the size web we have.)
• Domain name registration/renewal is inexpensive (these should be very low cost these days).

Optional, but desired features:

• Ability to upload and offer podcasts of sermons
• Ability to embed video (YouTube or similar)
• Ability to display RSS feeds on selected pages (like Blogger's new XML template system allows).

My Maps a great new resource

Google has done it again! The Google Maps home page now offers "My Maps". This tool lets you add several map points, lines, shapes, balloon text, pictures, and more.

Prior to this new feature, I had tested MultiPlottr, which is a similar tool and does use Google Maps. Google's My Maps appears slicker and offers the familiar ease of use and easy to learn GUI we've come to expect from Google. With Google My Maps you have to guess at location by dragging a plot marker. Try both and see if you agree.

Side note: There is a limit of 50 plotted addesses per map at present.

Ideas for possible uses

• Plot the street addresses of your church members. A visual look at clustering and dispersion may give you added insight for outreach or visitation planning.
• Plot members' addresses, but use different colors for:
• Members who have moved out of the area but still attend.
• New members within the last year.
• Founding members (if the church is new).
• Members who have not moved out of the area.
• Your church's street address (the key reference point on the map).
• Location of selected community resources (City Hall, Courthouse, City or County agencies that help people, Clothes closets, etc.). This might become the basis for a "Where to get help" portal page for your community.
• Home address of visitors in the past year.
• Plot the location of an event away from the church. The Church Art Online Plus Calendar does this, but that is a paid subscription. You could email this map link to all church members and any visitors that gave you their email address.
• Plot any type of demographic information about your members that is related to their address. Just remember the 50-address per map current limit.

Special note about long links. Remember that if you email map links, you should check the length and potential for problems at the receiving end. If the link is a long one or contains special characters, the recipient's email messages may "break" the link, especially when it wraps lines.

A way to avoid that problem is to use the free "TinyURL" online service to create a special short link when the target is a long one. TinyURL creates a special very short link that points to the long one you provide. An example long link reduced by TinyURL: http://tinyurl.com/ywzpx8 .

TinyURL also offers a "preview" feature that lets people see the actual destination link before they decide to select it. Here's an example of the same link as a "preview" one: http://tinyurl.com/preview.php?num=ywzpx8

Church website design checklist

"Does your church's website communicate to outsiders as well as to the members?" asks a new web resource. A church site is the congregation's 'shop window' to its community. To fulfill this function well, it must be enticing, people-centered and easily understood by outsiders.

Because many churches are unsure how to achieve this vital mix, the folks at Gospeccom have developed a Church Site Design Checklist that you fill out online and immediately see the score.

This helpful tool is a product of the Internet Evangelism Day team.

The Internet Evangelism Day ('IE Day') website also explains other types of online evangelism, such as outreach sites, video clips, blogging and podcasts. There is even a free 'conversation starter' screen-saver to download.

Common desktop publishing mistakes

A good place for church communications people to start in a review of church publications is the key mistakes many make in desktop publishing:

• Gray pages
  (Caused by too much text, crowded line spacing, crowded headlines, or margins crammed to the edge)
• Poor use of white space on pages
• Long or very short lines of type
• Narrow columns of justified type
• Inappropriate, distracting borders
• Overuse of reverse text, screens, borders, or rules
• Wrong punctuation (quotes, hyphens, and spaces)
• Widowed or orphaned text or subheads
• Colored text

These points come from Roger C. Parker, author of several desktop publishing books, including “One Minute Designer,” and NewEntrepeneur.com. He has several web pages of points and even checklists related to design of publications.

Read more in Roger’s “Desktop publishing’s twelve most common mistakes. His Pre-Flight Checklist is a handy reminder of the many aspects of publications that you should consider. Print it out and use it to check your Worship Bulletin and your church newsletter.

Site planning saves time

Many church webs sites would benefit greatly from better planning. While in the military, I heard an old maxim ... "One minute of planning saves 12 minutes of execution". In other words, a good plan prevents wasted time later. This certainly pertains to web sites.

When thinking about creating or changing a web site, a good place to start is Gospelcom's " Your first two questions" page. The page even has a Planning Worksheet.

Put in your plan:

• Clear writing (it doesn't come easy)
• Good accessibility (by people with varied disabilities)
• Great usability (for example, make text easy to scan and ensure the site is easy to navigate).

"Who-What-Where-When-Why" is a standard journalism standard for writing a straight news story. Let's apply that standard to web site planning:

• Who do you want to reach with your web site?
  Who will do the needed web page editing and site management?
  Who will provide content?
  Who will approve content prior to publishing it?
• What results do you hope to get from your web site?
  What type of site will it be -- simple online brochure, internal, outreach, ... ?
• Where will you host the site? Costs, services, and support vary widely.
• When does you church want this done? Be realistic about the time involved, both for thesite startup and for updating of content.
• Why have a web? If church members can't answer this with enthusiasm, forget it.

Some related links:

• Planning your web site design (Macromedia -- now Adobe)
• Planning (Web Style Guide)
• Web site planning (TechSoup)
• Site Planning Basics - what you should know before you design a web site

Web myths lead to church decline?

The World Wide Web is changing the world and the way we live in it, including our religious lives. "... those companies and organizations not ready for it are dying as predicted," says a CNN article today.

Many studies show an ever-increasing use of the Web both by religious organizations and individuals and by those seeking spiritual information, direction, or advice. Yet, some churches today disdain the web. Why? Some misconceptions may be at work:

• Myth: It's only for geeks and kids.
  Fact: With millions of people using the web and many more each day, it's no longer the nerdville that it used to be. Soccer Moms are using the web. Seniors communicate with email and get online news and information. Clubs and organizations have their own web sites and email groups.
• Myth: A web site costs too much to host.
  Fact: Any United Methodist church can get a small (5MB) web site free from the General Board of Global Ministries. Microsoft offers a free 30MB web site and your own domain name. Google offers a free 100MB web site. Blogger offers a free Blog. Flickr offers free online photo storage. Cost is no excuse.
• Myth: A church web site is a low priority because it doesn't help "the bottom line".
  Fact: First, a church should not get preoccupied with money, the root of all evil. Secondly, A church needs to minister to all its members, their local community, and "to the ends of the earth". A site on the World Wide Web fills that broad mission need.
• Myth: We don't have any web developers at my church.
  Fact: With free Microsoft and Google type web sites, setting up and maintaining a web site is very simple. You can have a good look and great content without any knowledge of web design. Next excuse?
• Myth: It takes too much time.
  Fact: Your church web site can be simple or complex. Use the time available to set how complex you get. Start simple, then add more pages. The web is too important to ignore. As more people use the web to locate churches and even "preview" a prospective one to visit, church web sites will become even more critical. A visitor to our church this past year said he checked out our entire web site before deciding to visit.

General principles for church web sites

• Each hour of planning saves 12 hours of changes later.
• Web site visitors mostly "scan" pages
. They don't really "read" all the nice text web designers and content people put there. So plan on it and design based around that.
• Less is more. That goes for design as well as content. A big block of text is visually discouraging. Tons of clip art or small photos is distracting and gives pages a "circusy" look -- not exactly what your church has in mind, I'm sure.
• Use Cascading Style Sheets, which will make site-wide changes much easier and faster to accomplish.
• Aim for a strict HTML 4.01 code. If you can't get there, make as much meet the strict standard as possible. That will save time later, when recoding might be required due to web browsers becoming more standards-oriented.
• Start small in both scope and content. Let the site grow naturally. If your site seems to have a ton of information but not a great organization, consider cutting back content as you think through site organization.Don't post what you can't maintain. There's nothing worse than an obviously outdated site to give your web site visitors a negative impression.
• The only thing constant is change. Go with the flow; expect changes. The web you have in one year should not resemble what it looks like now unless nobody is maintaining it. Every few years, plan on a change in "looks" and features.

Free web site from Microsoft

As part of Microsoft Live, Microsoft is offering Microsoft Office Live Basics, which includes a free web site (with your own domain name, not a " microsoft.com" site) to anyone. You get 30MB of file space, 5 POP email accounts, and unlimited files (within the 30MB limit). You also get easy drag and drop web page templates plus reports.

Some down sides -- the current version gives you very little choices.

• You have to accept the Microsoft menu navigation scheme
• The color schemes are currently limited and seem to come in only two flavors -- poor contrast or gaudy colors.
• You can't really touch the HTML code, unlike Google, which at least lets you get at the code within the editable regions of the web page.

Of course, Microsoft obviously hopes you'll outgrow this Basic version and want to upgrade to one of the other fee-based versions.

If your church wants to get its feet wet and create a web presence, this is the time. No excuses. Sign up for Microsoft Office Live Basics -- the price is right!