Pinterest Perfect Ministry

I resisted Pinterest in the interest of keeping my MAN CARD for a long time.  In the past 12 months Pinterest has grown up a bit and stretched beyond a girly social site to a marketing social media that has way more potential than Google+ (although, that's still not saying much).

ARTICLE: The Best Facebook Apps for iPad

Here's an article for you iPad users who surf FB connecting with teens!

Best Facebook Apps for iPad

Website Do's and Don'ts

Here's some tips for those of us who manage our church's websites.

TOP 9 THINGS TO PUT ON YOUR WEBSITE FRONT PAGE:

1. Your Phone Number
2. What To Expect Link
3. 60% Graphics (40% or less in words)
4. Your Podcast Link 
5. Link to a Staff page (visitors want an email and picture of church staff)
6. Search Box
7. Login Box (if you have an online community)
8. Facebook/Twitter Integration
9. Your Worship Service Times

TOP 3 THINGS TO NEVER PUT ON YOUR WEBSITE (ANYWHERE)

1. Outdated info
2. Under Construction
3. A whiny excuse about why the website isn't better

OTHER THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR WEBSITE

1. Address with a map or a link to a map
2. Information about your ministries
3. Updated calendar info
4. Place to sign up for communication
5. Office Hours
6. Statement of Beliefs
7. Online Giving (if you have the technology)

New Social Browser

RockMelt is a new web browser that integrates your Facebook account into a browser.  It adds a sidebar with your entire friends list sortable by online status or a customizable favorites list.  You can easily post or message your friends no matter what website your own or easily share a page your visiting to your wall or a friend.  In addition to friends, you can add a news feed from any website.  The news feeds are listed in another sidebar opposite your friends list.

Bottom line, if you are an occasional Facebook user you probably won't see any benefit to RockMelt, but if you're a person who always has their Facebook page open in another window/tab then RockMelt may be the perfect solution for you.  It may be a great way to multitask in your ministry connecting with teens on Facebook while browsing the web.  At minimum your teens will think you're cool for finding anything to do with Facebook before them!

YouthPastorTech.com Podcast #1

Build A Website

Facebook is a great way to communicate, but websites are still a relevant way to communicate to students and their parents.  If your ministry doesn't have a website, I highly recommend getting one!  If your not sure where to start, check out some of these options...

E-Publishing uses

One of the phrases that the media is throwing around a lot lately is e-publishing. A lot the reason for this is the battle that is going on right now between the electronic book readers and tablets. And regardless of where you stand in the battle of which is the best, we must all understand that the battle is really where you are going to spend your money on the books to read. This article isn't about that. It's about you creating and distributing your own e-pub books.

I'm not assuming that everyone out there reading this article is a fledgling author in search of a book deal. What I am saying is that all of us are communicators with a message that needs to be conveyed. Whether that message is a sermon, bible study, or a calendar of events. Why would you want to consider an e-book? The answer is simple...people need the information in a readily accessible format. So many people are carrying e-readers in tablet and smart-phone formats (and iPod Touches) that it only makes sense to maximize on that fact.

There are various ways to create e-pub documents, one of the easiest is Apple's Pages application. With its recent update, the program (on the Mac itself) can export any document as an e-pub. So why not use this great tool.

Sharing Photos and Video

We all have videos and photos of our youth group memories we want to share. If you don't, I want to encourage you to reconsider the power of connection that displaying your youth group memories can bring. It displays friends. It displays the atmosphere your community strives for. It displays fun or compassion or acceptance or all of the above!

But how do we share those videos or pictures?

iPad as Travel Companion

I'm taking a trip to our regional University this week with some of our students, and I've made up my mind.  I'm not taking my macbook with me.  I haven't traveled without carrying a laptop for a LONG time, but I'm making the break for this 3 day trip.

Why am I doing this? Simplicity...maybe.  Not having to deal with security...possibly.  But the main reason is I can do most of what I need using my iPad.

There are very few things that I can't accomplish with it as my primary tool.  If I throw my bluetooth keyboard in the bag, I'm even better off.  I have most of my needed tools available on it.  I can place enough video for the plane ride and my reading material is loaded as well.  If my flight has wifi, Netflix can fill in a lot of gaps.

The great thing is that by leaving my macbook plugged in and running at home, I can access and run the needed operations from it if the need arises (generally only for a few possible web updates for clients) using a free version of TeamViewer, this app is a must-have for the mobile youth pastor.

I'll update you on my experience upon my return...here's to mobile computing at it's finest!

New iPad Update

My biggest hesitation in buying an iPad was the fact that it was the first generation, that is the first model ever built.  Everyone knows that a companies 2nd generation model is better!  What helped me get over that hesitation is Apple.  Apple has been a company that gives you free updates on the operating system you're using no matter what model you have.  So I bit the bullet and bought an iPad which has become a device I use more than my iPhone and more than my PC.

Apple plans to release a big update to the iPad's OS this November.  Included in the update is multitasking and folders, making the iPad function even more like your iPhone.  Here's where youth ministry comes in.  You will be able to create an "Events" folder and put links to all your registration forms in one spot.  You can create folders for online attendance recording for different programs you have or folders for different apps you use exclusively for youth ministry.

Bottom line, the new update will help you better organize your iPad for youth ministry.

iPad Event Registration

Getting teens hyped about going on an event? Easy.  Getting them to sign up and pay is like trying to get cats to form a 5 person pyramid.  So here's a little tip on easy event registration.  If you use online forms to get students to sign up for events, navigate to the form in Safari on your iPad.  Then bookmark the site straight to your home screen.  Add all your event forms to your home screen and reogranize your apps so your event icons are all together.  The next time a teen says they want to go on an event, BAM, let them fill out their form right on the spot.

Need help making online forms?  I'll blog on that later, but for now try Google Docs!

Facebook Group vs. Facebook pages

It's a question that has haunted all of us from Facebook newbies to FB pros: do I create a Facebook Group or Page? What are the pros and cons? Is there a right choice? Why is it called Facebook?

Let's start with what a Group is. In September of 2004, 8 months after Facebook launched it introduced the Groups feature. In Facebook's words Groups are...

"With Facebook Groups, you can join and create up to 200 groups. Groups can be based around shared interests, activities, or anything you like. The Groups application page displays your recently updated groups as well as groups your friends have joined recently."

The Pages feature didn't come out for another 3 years. Here's how Facebook defines Their Pages feature...

Sync your mobile office easily

I know that there are many options, and a plethora of articles and how-to's regarding this subject, but it's time for a youth pastor's slant.

As a youth pastor, rarely in one spot for very long, it is very important to have access to many files that are called upon throughout each day and week. I know that many carry those files on thumb drives, but not always is a computer around to access them.  Then there is always the issue of "Is this the most recent edition of this file?"

Not only that, but if I sync that file to just one device, I am stuck with just that one device. I migrate between 3 devices on a regular basis: my macbook, iPad, and iPhone (I realize that this is an all Apple lineup, but this issue faces the PC user as well.).  I need access to those files often, and rarely am I in the same location, so what is a guy to do?

iPad-friendly Student Ministry

I readily admit that I am a bit of a geek, and as such I tend to use tech whenever and wherever I can.  One of my favorite weapons in my tech arsenal is my iPad. I've heard from many, well isn't it just a big iPod Touch? Yes in some ways, but mostly no.  It serves a different need in my life, and provides much better function in my ministry.  Here are a some of my regular uses:

Group TXT

If you're not communicating to your teens by TXT, you're not communicating!  But how do you communicate by text to a group without manually punching in their names and numbers on your phone each time?  Great question.  Here's a few ideas for you...

Simply TXT - a cheap, easy way to start TXTing your group from any computer

Tatango - a more expensive option, but it's loaded with features like key words, sub-groups, and reply forwarding.  The best part is you can send group messages right from your phone or any PC.  You can even allow your sponsors to send a group message.  Try the free trial period.  If you like it, ask them for a break in price, they might be willing to work with you!

CCB - this is a solution for tracking all of your students contact information and communicating with them multiple ways like email, print, RSS, website, and TXT.  A cool feature of CCB is all your lists and information is integrated into one easy to manage list.  Students can adjust their own communication preferences.  And if that wasn't enough, CCB uses TWEXT technology so not only does your TXT go to your youth group, it goes to you or your group's Twitter Account.  This is a great option, but it's pricey.

Twitter & Facebook - these social sites can allow users to get mobile updates from your profile.  It's free, but getting teens to adjust that setting may be quite a hassle. 

If you have an iPhone you can also find Group TXT apps in the AppStore.