Blog Feed: Digital Evangelism Issues

Free resources for Red Tails movie

Published on 2012-05-24 10:00:18

[Please click 'Share'] Hollywood blockbuster Red Tails is inspired by the true story of World War II’s first African American fighter squadron, the Tuskegee airmen. It’s is a thrilling, action-packed film with the most realistic dogfights ever to hit the screen. The movie tells the tale of the heroic 332nd fighter group of the U.S. [...] > read more

YouVersion mobile Bibles: interview with Bobby Gruenewald

Published on 2012-05-22 12:00:47

[Please Share] The significance of free mobile phone Bibles cannot be overestimated for these reasons: Christians can have access to a 24/7 Bible. In the Majority World, mobile phones may be comparable in price to printed Bibles, maybe even cheaper. In closed countries, Bibles can be hard to obtain, and it may not be wise [...] > read more

Engaging with your nation’s soul

Published on 2012-05-16 08:30:31

[Please share] When people are seeking spiritual answers, why would we not try to listen to them and start engaging in the terms and language they are using, rather than defaulting to some standardizedformulaic gospel presentation? Listening to the society around us is not optional. John Stott called it ‘double listening’. Tony Watkins has written [...] > read more

How people use Twitter: infographics

Published on 2012-05-14 09:00:15

[Please click 'Share'] Twitter continues to grow in usage and influence. • New to Twitter? Couchable offers a particularly clear guide to using it. • Tweeting Church: Good News in only 140 characters by Paul Clifford is a free ebook download on our book page. • Twitter can be a key part of a church [...] > read more

Study shows Christians using Facebook but need help

Published on 2012-05-11 08:30:32

[Please Share] A questionnaire-based research study into social media evangelism by Christian Vision has just been published. CV’s Andrew Flynn comments, “It basically confirms that Christians are aware of the opportunity to evangelize online but need help in how to – but that they are already a lot more engaged relationally than perhaps we sometimes [...] > read more

Cardboard testimonies communicate

Published on 2012-05-10 08:00:57

[Please Share] Cardboard testimonies are a highly visual, often moving, way of briefly sharing the story of God’s hand in people’s life stories. They are relatively easy to plan and film. It’s another way of creating video shorts that can be shared in Facebook, Twitter, on a church web site, etc. Of course, just as [...] > read more

Psychology of color in design

Published on 2012-05-08 09:00:18

[Please Share] All colors are not the same! Use colors that match your message. This is second nature to graphic designers, but not necessarily for the rest of us. And in some cultures, colors may have a special meaning that we are unaware of. The Psychology of Color by Tech King Read more about color [...] > read more

Does social media have a place in the church?

Published on 2012-05-04 07:30:05

Please ShareWhen you hear the word ‘church’, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? If you are like me, then you may think of your church building or some mega-church that stands out in your mind. If this was the case, and the church was just a building, there would be no [...] > read more

Ideas for blog posts when you lack inspiration

Published on 2012-05-01 08:46:22

Please Share If you are a blogger, writer, speaker or storyteller, you may sometimes get stuck for ideas and inspiration. Copyblogger’s infographic could help you: Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger. Other writing resources Check our recommendations for writing books grammar mistakes that rob writing of credibility (great infographic) plus two [...] > read more

Mobile Ministry Introduction video released today

Published on 2012-04-29 07:00:30

[Please Share] Today is Internet Evangelism Day. We are honored to release the 2012 version by Mobile Advance of their 5-minute video explaining the opportunities for mobile ministry in the Majority World. Please check our range of FREE ebooks, normally pay-for, that you can download now, on our ebook page. These are only available TODAY. [...] > read more

Win books, plus free ebook downloads on Internet Evangelism Day

Published on 2012-04-23 09:00:40

[Please click 'Share'] On Internet Evangelism Day, Sunday 29 April, we are giving away more than 10 titles of normally pay-for Kindle and PDF ebooks, and an iPhone app, from our ebook > read more

John Cleese on creativity

Published on 2012-04-20 09:00:25

[Please Share] John Cleese, creative writer, actor and comedian, has produced much memorable comedy. The classic TV series Fawlty Towers (1975-9) is widely regarded as one of the best television comedies of all time. It has dated little in nearly 40 years, and is available as a remastered > read more

Attitudes and hostility to Christian faith

Published on 2012-04-18 09:00:40

Please Share] Australia is probably similar in religious attitudes to most European countries, and Canada. Check the detailed infographic below of Australian views. There are similar figures available for Europe from the Eurobarometer and Gallup Polls – unfortunately these do not measure animosity/hostility as such, though this may overlap considerably with the percent of non-theists [...] > read more

Sources of digital ministry news

Published on 2012-04-14 08:00:07

[Please Share] Catch up with digital ministry news. The recent issues of Web Evangelism Bulletin are online here. You can subscribe to the summary Feedburner version here. Below is the latest version of Digital Evangelism Resources, our Paper.li syndicated publication. Paper.li automatically syndicates news from Twitter into a daily newspaper-style online publication. You can subscribe [...] > read more

This is revolutionary – free ebooks for cheap mobile phones. Plus two free Kindle downloads for you

Published on 2012-04-12 08:00:51

[Please Share] Smartphone use is increasing dramatically in the Majority World. But for many poorer people who own mobiles or aspire to them, a simple phone is all they may afford for some years ahead. So the new Worldreader system which turns these phones into smartphones of a sort, with cloud storage of ebooks, all [...] > read more

Grammar mistakes that rob writing of credibility

Published on 2012-04-10 08:00:00

[Please Share] Bad grammar and spelling are key factors that rob a website or blog of credibility (see infographic below). So says Professor Fogg, author of Persuasive Technology: Using Computers to Change What We Think and Do in the Stanford Credibility Project where you can read chapters 6-7 of his book. Web writing must also: [...] > read more

Project Glass – is this a nightmare spectacle or spectacular?

Published on 2012-04-07 08:43:22

[Please Share] Here’s Google’s newly-released video presentation of their Project Glass project. It’s nothing less than a fully-functional smartphone built into glasses with head-up display on the lenses. Will it fly? Will people really want it? Will users be forever falling down holes or bumping into lamp-posts or people? Surely it must never be used [...] > read more

The amazing digital advance in India

Published on 2012-04-05 09:00:08

[Please Share] The second largest nation in the world is a rich and wonderful mixture of contrasts. Skim through this very clear slide presentation to see just how far digital penetration is transforming Indian society (based on April 2011 stats). Similar patterns of digital usage are at varying stages of maturity across the Majority World. [...] > read more

4 weeks until Internet Evangelism Day

Published on 2012-04-03 08:00:44

[Please Share] It’s nearly here: Internet Evangelism Day is set for Sunday 29 April this year, with the entire month of April designated as Digital Outreach Month. This page sets it in context and offers some ready-to-use news items. Very grateful thanks if you are able to make known these resources in any way – [...] > read more

4 principles of 21st century evangelism including visual story

Published on 2012-04-02 09:00:02

[Please Share] In 21st Century evangelism, there are four overarching principles that must inform what we do, worldwide: Think digital The vast majority of people are wired – to the web or mobile phones. It is part of their lives. Any form of evangelism or discipleship which does not acknowledge, use or integrate digital into [...] > read more

Downsides of mobiles?

Published on 2012-03-31 08:00:53

Agree? Disagree? Like to Comment? Whatever the downsides (and everything has downsides), mobiles remain an incredible evangelism opportunity, both in the West and the Majority World. Why buy a smartphone? Which operating system to choose: Android or iPhone. Check these recent posts on using phones in evangelism and discipleship. Created by: OnlineMastersDegree.com Share & re-use [...] > read more

God’s GPS – another amazing new phone app

Published on 2012-03-29 09:00:45

[Please Share] Another evangelism-related phone app has been released. This is a web app which you buy (for pennies – using Paypal ‘buy now’ button or bank card) and download from a website, rather from iTunes/Android Market. It operates in 40+ languages. If you have ever tried to figure out how to naturally start a [...] > read more

Digital behavior infographics: the context for ministry

Published on 2012-03-28 09:10:00

[Please Share] These useful infographics reveal the context in which we minister online. Although these are based on US statistics, doubtless other western countries are broadly similar. Credit: Nielsen.com. View full graphic with footnotes in PDF | other Neilsen reports. Check our other recent posts on social networking and the enormous opportunities there are to [...] > read more

The Hunger Games – engaging teens & twenties with spiritual parallels

Published on 2012-03-26 10:20:47

[Please Share] The Hunger Games movie has released across the world, with critical acclaim. It may not be a film that would appeal to your mother, or perhaps even you – if your demographic is not teens and twenties. But be assured, most of your church youthgroup and their peers will see this one. And [...] > read more

Slide show: The End of Teaching

Published on 2012-03-24 09:00:14

In this short slideshow, Alvaro González-Alorda suggests that college teaching methods must change, in our new digital communication culture. Does this also apply to the way the church teaches stuff – at local church or college level? Add your thoughts using the Comments link below. THE END OF TEACHING by @agalorda View more presentations from [...] > read more

Left-brain versus right-brain: revealing infographic

Published on 2012-03-22 10:00:31

[Please Share] We hear a lot about ‘left-brain’ and ‘right-brain’ these days. Below is a helpful infographic summary. Of course, most of us are a mixture of both sets of characteristics, depending on our personality, gender and the culture we live in. But one side may tend to predominate. A huge significance to these differences: [...] > read more

The incredible power of the two-minute video clip

Published on 2012-03-20 10:00:21

[Please Share] Since its launch in 2005 (history), YouTube has grown to be the definitive place to find and share video shorts. By 2012, 60 minutes of new video content were being posted to YouTube every minute, with over 2 billion videos viewed worldwide each day. It’s the default place to post short clips, with [...] > read more

Calke Abbey from the air: do you dream of flying?

Published on 2012-03-17 09:04:33

[Please Share] Calke Abbey is a stately home in UK’s East Midlands. Here’s a fascinating video shot by a friend of a friend using small radio-controlled battery-powered model helicopters (3- and 4-rotor) carrying a video camera. They are an amateur version of police or military drones. The pilot wears a headset to see from the [...] > read more

The power of Pinterest – a new way to share

Published on 2012-03-16 09:00:13

Pinterest just keeps growing. Many people are writing about how to use it, including for churches. It is a very easy way to curate links and resources. New profiles are on the way. Check our suggestions and consider demonstrating Pinterest live by projection on Internet Evangelism Day. Infographic by TechCrunch Share & re-use . . [...] > read more

Mobile phones – the incredible Majority World opportunities

Published on 2012-03-14 11:16:32

[Please Share] There’s one message that we need to write on our hearts: THINK MOBILE. Whether you’re a web designer, church, social networker, bible or book publisher, or mission agency, mobiles are a vital key to evangelism and discipleship. Chris White of ChrisWhiteMinistries.com explains the incredibly opportunities for mobile phones in Africa and Asia. National [...] > read more

Curators needed: the incredible value of content curation

Published on 2012-03-12 10:04:01

[Please Share] You may not necessarily associate the terms curator and curation with the Internet, thinking of them as applying primarily to museums and art galleries. A museum curator has to be an expert and enthusiast in her field, and want to share that with others. A curator classifies and displays precious objects or pictures, [...] > read more

Mobilize your church on Internet Evangelism Day

Published on 2012-03-08 09:00:11

[Please Share] Internet Evangelism Day is set for 29 April, as the culmination of Digital Outreach Month. IE Day is both an annual focus day and year-round resource guide for digital outreach. It has always been our suggestion that churches build a digital evangelism focus into their events or service sheets on (or near) that [...] > read more

Win a copy of Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival

Published on 2012-03-06 09:59:48

[Please Share] March 13 sees the publication of a very significant book, available in paperback and Kindle: Viral: How Social Networking Is Poised to Ignite Revival Len Sweet Waterbrook Press 229 pages paperback ISBN 978-0-307-45915-2 There are three signed copies to win – thanks Len! To win a copy, all you need to do is: [...] > read more

Smugglers, roses & Bible translation. With funniest pirate sketch ever!

Published on 2012-03-05 09:00:20

[Please Share] In UK, we have a builders merchants called Travis Perkins. They are a great place to buy timber and other materials, and doubtless a business of the utmost probity, named after two companies that merged. But it is interesting to consider the hidden color, the resonance, in this name. No word exists in [...] > read more

Weekend review: looking back at popular evangelism posts

Published on 2012-03-03 04:00:05

Please Share: A look back at a selection of DEI posts people liked… Free stuff for editors and webmasters – sources of free evangelistic content (including Easter resources). Grab the attention of passers-by – ideas for church signage. Ebooks for church ministry – free ebooks and resources from Yvon Prehn (including Easter resources) and Bob [...] > read more

Win the new ‘Talking about Jesus’ iPhone app

Published on 2012-03-01 09:00:22

Please Share: Although there are increasing numbers of Christian smartphone apps available, very few are designed to directly relate to outsiders evangelistically. It’s the old 99 Per Cent Problem again. So it is a privilege to announce the release of the Talking About Jesus iPhone app, from UK’s Damaris ministry. This app enables Christians to [...] > read more

Watch Oscar & other prize-winning video animations or shorts

Published on 2012-02-28 08:00:09

In all the hype about the Oscars, and the deserved accolades for The Artist, you may have missed the Oscar for best animation. It went to The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, a quirky allegory about the healing nature of story. (And due to be released as a bookand phone app.) Watch the [...] > read more

State of social media – latest video

Published on 2012-02-27 08:07:12

Please shareLatest incarnation of Erik Qualman’s Socialnomics ‘state of social media’ video. (Follow his blog at Socialnomics.net.) It’s also available to download so you can show it in meetings or seminars to explain just how far digital communication extends. Social networking means ‘people’ and ‘relational’. The potential to share good news worldwide is immense and [...] > read more

Weekend laugh. Or cry. Church history cartoon

Published on 2012-02-25 07:14:00

History of church movements, from Trevin Wax’s blog at Gospel Coalition. Click on graphic for larger version Share & re-use . . . Please also share this post on Facebook, Twitter and Google +1 using the one-click links below. You can also automatically syndicate our blog posts to your Facebook Wall (and/or your Twitter stream) [...] > read more

A trillion hours of spare time

Published on 2012-02-24 08:30:29

Please ShareOne of the properties of our anytime/everywhere Internet is that even small blocks of time can be used productively in ways that weren’t possible before. Of course, the downside of this is that we may never relax or unhook from being totally available 24/7. Learn to disconnect too! However the Web does allow us [...] > read more

Bible books as a chemistry periodic table

Published on 2012-02-22 09:00:50

Please share- You may be familiar with the chemistry periodic table, which lays out all the elements in relation to each other. Tim Challies has placed all the books of the Bible in a similar layout, and given people the freedom to reuse or publish it in any way. Click on the image to view [...] > read more

Sharing good news on Facebook and social media

Published on 2012-02-20 09:00:14

Please Share: One of the most significant digital evangelism initiatives of 2011 was the release of YesHEIs.com. The team recently released this Our Chance video to highlight social media opportunities that YesHEIs gives. You can easily download this video to show in church meetings or seminars. Watch on YouTube: See more on using Facebook and [...] > read more

Messages in Incredibly Loud, and Marigold Hotel

Published on 2012-02-17 09:00:56

Please share:Culturewatch ministry Damaris has produced resources to bring out spiritual and life lessons embedded in two great new film releases… Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close The moving story of a boy with Asperger’s whose father has died in the Twin Towers: Watch trailer on YouTube: Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close [...] > read more

The secret structure of great talks

Published on 2012-02-15 09:21:43

[Please share] Nancy Duarte’s [bio] communication insights in this TED lecture seem vital. Follow her analysis of both Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch and Dr King’s I Have a Dream speech. These are surely principles that work for advocacy, preaching or evangelism? Please add your thoughts using the Comment link below. Watch at TED: Share & [...] > read more

Arrietty is a winner: finally releases in USA & Canada

Published on 2012-02-14 09:00:56

[Please share] Regular readers of this blog will have noticed an occasional tendency to enthuse about the Japanese animé films from Studio Ghibli. So here we go again! Arrietty is their latest. Released in Japan in 2010, it came to Europe in early 2011 and UK/Australia in July. Now, finally, North America gets it too [...] > read more

What is Pinterest.com? And how can you use it?

Published on 2012-02-13 06:10:41

Please share: It’s a name getting increasing recognition across the Web. No, it is not a fan page for the late British playwright Harold Pinter. Pinterest is the latest expression of social networking and sharing [introduction] and has been described as a visual bookmarking site. After its ‘closed beta’ launch in March 2010 it became [...] > read more

North Korean youth play A-ha hit on accordions

Published on 2012-02-10 06:16:09

Please RT:We get so few glimpses of normal North Korean life. Here’s a cover version of A-ha’s hit Take On Me, shot in Pyongyang, North Korea, at the Kum Song school. It was organised by Norwegian artist Morten Traavik for the international arts and culture festival Barents Spektakel, which opened in Kirkenes, Norway, on 8 [...] > read more

Facepainting with a difference – try the test

Published on 2012-02-09 08:20:28

Please share: Take your index finger, and draw an imaginary letter ‘E’ on your forehead. Or have fun with some friends and use washable finger paint or marker, to make the letter visible. Do it now, before you read any further. Recent research from Kellogg School of Management [more] has suggested that the way you [...] > read more

Are social media changing our brains?

Published on 2012-02-06 09:10:16

Please share: Is ‘change’ the same as ‘ruin’, as the infographic below might suggest? It is certainly the contention of Nicholas Carr in his book The Shallows, and some other commentators, that our brains are being rewired by the Web and social media, and not always in a good way. However, as Len Sweet points [...] > read more

Kimberley’s story – finding reality and purpose online

Published on 2012-02-02 08:33:23

Please share widely: The 24/7 always-on searchable Internet is an ideal match for a seeker. Here, Kimberley tells her story of seeking and finding. Watch on YouTube: To watch Kimberley’s story in Dutch, and other life stories from visitors to the Netherlands outreach Jesus.net site, go here. Note how: she found the page because she [...] > read more

Win book ‘Evangelism in the Digital Age: Media Case Studies’

Published on 2012-01-30 09:15:53

#winmsc Please share widely: Just published – a new book by mediastrategist Dan Henrich: Evangelism in the Digital Age: Media Case Studies (Volume 1). The book is a series of case study reports on various film, radio, web and mobile phone initiatives in Africa, S America and Asia in the last few years. You can [...] > read more

War Horse is a powerful story of redemption

Published on 2012-01-26 09:11:14

Please share widely: Spielberg’s latest movie is getting rave reviews. And rightly so. The popular children’s book by Michael Morpurgo has been faithfully adapted: read story of the film and its making. (Trailer below.) And there are many redemptive echoes embedded in it. Here are a few (spoiler warnings): Joey the horse is sold into, [...] > read more

Tomorrow never comes. Does it?

Published on 2011-07-05 11:28:51

Yup, that’s me. Online displacement activity. There is, by the way, a word in one language which has a similar meaning to mañana, but without the same implications of urgency! Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on > read more

I missed the song for years. Thank you for the music

Published on 2011-07-01 10:39:49

“The two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar and familiar things new” – Samuel Johnson Photo credit: Exper Giovanni Rubaltelli | Creative Commons/Flickr He saw the book in the shop. Had even heard well of it b > read more

Unmissable video on ‘inside out’ communication

Published on 2011-06-29 10:58:35

Simon Sinek offers a vital insight into effective communication in an 18-minute TED lecture. Why do some people communicate better or achieve more than others? This presentation deserves analysis and discussion by pastors, leadership teams, or missio > read more

The way we were: history of email + world’s first (hilarious) tech call

Published on 2011-06-27 11:03:32

“It seems only yesterday.” Well, not quite. Email goes back quite a way (as the infographic shows)! Here’s an exercise when you have nothing better to do: work out the average number of emails you send each day, and multiply it by t > read more

This gadget is everything I ever wanted

Published on 2011-06-25 10:31:39

Many a true word is spoken in jest… Which is why humor is so important in evangelism. Get free e-books about Christian humor. Seriously though, there are good reasons to get a smartphone including the discipleship and evangelism opportunities i > read more

Robin Hood and effective communication: the wedding march that went wrong

Published on 2011-06-22 11:40:47

Effective communication has many strands. One is listening, asking questions and checking for feedback that the message we communicate is actually understood. A couple in UK arranging their marriage service requested the organist to play ‘the R > read more

Internet use by timezone, and in Nepali villages

Published on 2011-06-21 10:08:23

Interesting world map of internet use by timezone from Royal Pingdom. Read their analysis of the results. For more interesting stats, check World Odometers and Social Media. And here’s one way village people use the Internet in the sparse UTC+6 > read more

Computer humor makes serious points

Published on 2011-06-18 05:13:55

Most humor makes a serious point. Having sent a couple of potentially important emails that were either quarantined for no apparent reason, or completely lost, the cartoon below has some truth. It’s always worth checking later if an important e > read more

Social media: key links for being effective

Published on 2011-06-13 10:20:51

Social media can be a confusing and fragmented communication niche. Facebook, for instance, is an almost ramshackle accumulation of features and counter-intuitive usability options. For example ‘Like’ means three things depending on conte > read more

Why buy a smartphone?

Published on 2011-06-08 11:52:01

You may be entirely happy with a simple cheap mobile phone. And as has been observed about the current world financial crisis, there is no point in “spending money you don’t have, to buy things you don’t need, to impress people you > read more

Anime – a key genre for communication

Published on 2011-06-06 10:01:28

Our family’s multi-generational love-affair with Japanese anime continues. Or, more specifically, the tender end of the genre. Our search for other titles that reflect the quality of genre-leaders Studio Ghibli (pronounced jib-lee) has found mo > read more

Plugins. Does it work for you?

Published on 2011-06-03 03:05:28

I‘m loving WordPress Mobile Pack – a plugin that automatically makes your WordPress blog or site user-friendly for mobile users. Please say, O most noble Android / Blackberry / iPhone / Nokia / Windows 7* user, how does this blog look on > read more

Christian storytelling – the vital option

Published on 2011-06-01 02:54:42

Storytelling is so strategic. The Christian Storyteller releases a monthly story and tips. They also have a June conference in Georgetown KY. Here’s this month’s story: Watch on YouTube: Storytelling is a vital skill to learn. Watch a gif > read more

Final call for free e-books, plus new free Kindle title

Published on 2011-05-29 19:59:37

A final call for Digital Evangelism Month’s free e-books. Some titles come off the free e-book download offer on Tuesday 31 May. Please check now if there is anything you would like. Grab Netcasters and God Space if you don’t already have > read more

Latest Web Evangelism Bulletin now online

Published on 2011-05-28 01:58:43

Latest issue of the Bulletin is now online here. If you don’t already receive it, you can subscribe by email, RSS or Feedburner email summary. Contents: Free e-books – and Netcasters is now available at last. What are you – as an in > read more

YouTube turns six – with mind-blowing reach

Published on 2011-05-27 03:02:30

“YouTube is celebrating its sixth birthday this month, and the Google subsidiary is doing it partly by sharing some big numbers that underscore its overwhelming dominance in the online video streaming space,” says TechCrunch blog. YouTube > read more

The GeoSocial Universe, and Bunyan’s theology

Published on 2011-05-25 03:05:05

Two very different infographics here, with three and a half centuries between them! First,the GeoSocial Universe according to TechCrunch. Then, showing that infographics are nothing new, John Bunyan’s Ordo Salutis. Check TechCrunch’s anal > read more

Growing up online

Published on 2011-05-23 05:02:54

Steve Kryger at Communicate Jesus blog writes: I’m not yet 30 years old, but my experience of the world growing up as a teenager is vastly different to that of teenagers today. It’s been a shock to consider how different our worlds are. Below are > read more

NetCasters book available as free download until 20 May

Published on 2011-05-17 14:47:18

There was a tech problem which prevented us offering Craig von Buseck’s book NetCasters as a free download on Internet Evangelism Day. Now I’m glad to say it is available as a free PDF download until the end of Friday 20 May. Grab it now, > read more

Free books today on Internet Evangelism Day

Published on 2011-05-15 10:57:44

Don’t forget our free e-books for Digital Evangelism Month! Available for download today only (IE Day, 15 May): @stickyJesus: how to live out your faith online, by Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong. This, and a range of titles, are available to downl > read more

Free e-books on Internet Evangelism Day or during May

Published on 2011-05-06 05:00:39

We are excited to be able to offer these key book titles and other resources, with grateful thanks to their authors and publishers. These resources have been chosen to equip you, either specifically for digital evangelism, or also wider areas of outr > read more

Blogging through Digital Evangelism Month

Published on 2011-05-05 03:39:58

Christian Web Trends is blogging three times a week during Digital Outreach Month. The intention is to read and discuss the @stickyJesus book. Here’s their explanation of the month’s discussion, and the first post in the series. Follow th > read more

Cool infographics for website design

Published on 2011-05-03 14:42:19

This week’s infographics from SmokingDesigners.com: What should a good landing page look like? Remember, most website pages ARE landing pages – that is, a page that people arrive at first, via a search engine, tweet, Facebook post, etc. S > read more

Digital Outreach Month starts here. Today

Published on 2011-04-30 19:00:06

May is designated as Digital Outreach Month. We hope that this will give churches, Christian groups and individual Jesus-followers the opportunity to explore the growing opportunities. Internet Evangelism Day itself is Sunday May 15. Please would you > read more

Indonesia goes digital

Published on 2011-04-30 04:48:27

What’s the most populous muslim nation on the world? And it’s not in the Middle East or the Indian subcontinent. Yes, Indonesia. But just look at the figures for digital usage in this neat video clip. (Also note what you can do with a fel > read more

Infographics: the current state of social networks | search stats

Published on 2011-04-28 11:08:54

This week’s infographics: First, from Cool Infographics gives insights to social networking usage. By the way, for valuable help on using social networks, follow JustinWise.net blog, and for more detailed stats on Facebook and other web stats, > read more

Hans Rosling’s 200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes – The Joy of Stats

Published on 2011-04-26 09:11:26

It’s hard to present abstract figures in a graphic form that is understandable and memorable. Hans Rosling does it below. Related comments: Internet and mobile connectivity can contribute greatly to economic and social development in the Majori > read more

Words matter. Totally

Published on 2011-04-25 10:14:49

Words, images, and loving actions within unconditional relationships, are all means of sharing the good news. Words can kill, or bring life. Unimaginative words, chosen without an understanding of how they may resonate with hearers or readers, may sa > read more

My Last Day: the Easter story as anime

Published on 2011-04-22 16:40:05

History’s most-translated film, JESUS, is now available in a unique translation. Instead of being in a different language, the new short film uses the Japanese animé format to tell the story of Jesus in a visual presentation familiar to Intern > read more

Total change: growing up in a digital age

Published on 2011-04-20 05:45:47

Today’s Western high school students are the first generation to have grown up with digital technology in their homes from birth. The first therefore to have their brains rewired, for better or worse, by 24/7 digital communication. This video a > read more

Mobile phones – onwards and upwards

Published on 2011-04-18 09:25:20

This week’s infographic from Cool Infographics highlights the growing use of mobile phones. We must think mobile, for every aspect of digital ministry. Share & re-use . . . Our Christian resource blog of the month: Communicate Jesus Steve > read more

Social networking stats analysis from Royal Pingdom

Published on 2011-04-13 04:00:51

This week’s two infographics are from the blog of Royal Pingdom, an uptime and performance monitoring service. The first shows the social media networks that get more than 1 million visits a day. Interesting that half of all Facebook users are > read more

Mobile phones and evangelism: latest help

Published on 2011-04-11 11:47:51

Three angles on mobile phones ministry: Mobiles: A Bridge to Everywhere Looks at the potential for evangelism, particularly in the context of the Majority World and missions. You are free to reproduce this article in print or online with attibution. > read more

Book review: God Space by Doug Pollock

Published on 2011-04-08 09:43:17

God Space Where spiritual conversations happen naturally Doug Pollock ISBN 978-0-7644-3871-4 Group Publishers Most of us struggle to connect with outsiders and have meaningful conversations about faith. We may have been taught to use formulaic method > read more

Free music to encourage us to share the good news

Published on 2011-04-06 11:50:43

Music embeds truth in our minds in a particular way, that’s why it is so powerful. We have a range of links to completely free MP3 downloads and sheet music, for mission challenge to Jesus followers. Download them to your MP3 player, computer, > read more

Heavenly music: virtual singing with worldwide choir

Published on 2011-04-04 12:11:12

Would you ever have thought that a choir could sing in cyberspace? And produce such a heavenly sound? And connect people to harmonize across the continents? Social networking can do more than enable us to share what we had for breakfast! Many spiritu > read more

The way we were: history of web browsers

Published on 2011-04-03 07:51:47

Interesting infographic showing popularity of browsers from year dot to now. Sobering thought: the vast majority of web users have never heard of Netscape, or Infoseek, or many other 90s worktools. As for the future, did you see Google’s Gmail > read more

Internet download speeds and usage stats 1995-2011

Published on 2011-03-31 13:32:05

Infographic on internet download speeds, users, and other related stats… Infographic: From Horseback To Bullet Train: The History Of Internet Usage And Speeds by WebHostingBuzz Share & re-use . . . Our Christian resource blog of the month: > read more

May is Digital Outreach Month

Published on 2011-03-28 03:32:48

With Internet Evangelism Day just two months away, here are news items available to publish in any online/print newsletter or magazine, church bulletin, or blog, Facebook and Twitter. We have also extended the timescale to give churches and other gro > read more

Incredible new video-clip sharing outreach tool

Published on 2011-03-23 12:19:13

Christian media producer CVC is exploiting the exponential growth of social media and online video. Their new YesHEIs.com website offers Christians a categorised range of third-party evangelistic video clips. Here at last is a one-stop source of appr > read more

Evangelism bulletin going twice monthly

Published on 2011-03-19 17:22:11

Whenever possible, I hope to split the Web Evangelism Bulletin into two shorter emails each month, to make it easier to read! The first issue of March is now available online. You can subscribe here: or on the Bulletin index page, or by RSS: Read thi > read more

Realtime stat madness! Social media rocks

Published on 2011-03-18 03:33:16

Realtime stats always have a sense of immediacy. Click on the four category tabs and four time-scale options. This Creative Commons ticker can be embedded in your own site or blog using the embed code link bottom left. Could also be a useful demo for > read more

Book review: @stickyJesus – how to live out your faith online

Published on 2011-03-16 10:23:14

Just published – @stickyJesus is a dynamic new book about sharing faith online through social networking. Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong are gifted writers and communicators. Their blog tag-line ‘keeping it real & living sticky online 4 > read more

Too much information?

Published on 2011-03-14 10:30:41

“Too much information,” is usually used about over-shared personal information we didn’t really need to know. Much has been written about the relentless flow of too much digital information, for instance by Nicholas Carr (author of > read more

25% discount on Biola web ministry conference

Published on 2011-03-11 03:21:28

Update: you are offered a 25% discount on booking for Biola University’s Christian Web Conference, as part of their Imagination Summit, 14-16 April. Read their introductory letter. 25% off As a special offer to you as a visitor of our site, Bio > read more

Biola April conference and free March webinars

Published on 2011-03-07 16:38:29

Biola University are once again running the Christian Web Conference, as part of their Imagination Summit, 14-16 April. Read their introductory letter. Free webinars Yvon Prehn’s webinar Why your church needs to create Multi-channel Communicati > read more

Use QR Codes. Everywhere. All the time

Published on 2011-03-03 14:37:41

We are increasingly seeing QR Codes in public – those pixellated black-and-white squares, such as the one in the top right corner of this page. They enable anyone with a smartphone to point it at the code and be taken instantly to a website (or > read more

Movies and TV tell different hidden story

Published on 2011-02-28 08:01:07

Caitlin Moran is a hugely gifted humorist, columnist and TV reviewer for the London Times. She recently (13 Feb 2011) wrote whimsically about her childhood experience of assessing screen stories: As children who spent our formative years doing little > read more

Kids and comedy: awkward questions about Jesus – viral YouTube clip

Published on 2011-02-21 13:33:02

Outnumbered is a BBC sitcom about a long-suffering couple with three smart children. Sadly for those outside UK, it is not streamed or archived on the BBC site (it does have some clips here and here) but it is available worldwide on�DVD�(Re > read more

Word clouds for Bible and evangelism

Published on 2011-02-19 06:47:48

Word clouds assign size to demonstrate the frequency of word use in text. 66Clouds.com have done this for the entire Bible. What, I wonder, would word-cloud analysis of my spoken words look like? “Me, my, I, no, disagree, but”; or “ > read more

Cartoons, comics and animation communicate truth uniquely

Published on 2011-02-14 09:35:19

Cartoons, comics and animations are a key means of evangelism, as ‘The blind missionaries’ cartoon itself portrays clearly. Why are they so important? I suggest because: Visual is memorable and understandable: “The soul never thinks > read more

Mobile phones – more amazing trends

Published on 2011-02-12 01:44:10

Here’s our third posting (and last for now) showing a trends infographic. All mobile phone stats seem remarkable. Such as the fact that since this time yesterday, 1.29 million new phones were sold. The future IS mobile. Even in the Majority Wor > read more

The future is now – the incredible increase of computing power

Published on 2011-02-11 02:40:04

Another of those useful infographics – this time looking at the dizzy trends in computing power that we will see in the coming years. Set it in context though! There’s no sign of any computing system I know that can: Look at a person, rec > read more

The psychology of color in web design

Published on 2011-02-09 18:14:25

It is of course widely accepted that color communicates various non-verbal messages, and so should be carefully chosen to match the communication it is associated with. Here’s an info-graphic suggesting ways to use color: The Psychology of Colo > read more

The most compelling Facebook fan pages

Published on 2011-02-04 08:25:20

Social networking guru Chris Brogan offers examples of compelling fan page design. Of course, one big question a fan page designer must answer: “where do I want visitors to land?” On a welcome/info page, or the Wall? Check the links that > read more

The State of Christianity – video summary from Urbana

Published on 2011-02-01 11:21:09

State of Christianity from Urbana 09. You can download this video from the Vimeo page (54Mb, when you are logged in to Vimeo) for projection in meetings, or embed it in a webpage or blog using the embed code link. Other free mission challenge videos > read more

Shane Hipps on Flickering Pixels insights

Published on 2011-01-22 02:55:46

Here’s Shane Hipps, author of Flickering Pixels, sharing his insights in a class at Biola University. This highly-recommended book explains how digital media have transformed the way we communicate the good news. Watch video at YouTube Please T > read more

Blogging, Twitter, mobiles and popular culture opportunities

Published on 2011-01-19 02:00:24

Blogging A group of practitioners recently conducted a roundtable discussion on social media, in particular, blogging: Christians and Internet Presence. Social Media Examiner blog (a great place to find new ideas) has posted 8 Ways to Use Social Shar > read more

Internet Evangelism Day 2011

Published on 2011-01-17 02:49:53

Here’s advance notice of the 2011 Internet Evangelism Day. It is set for Sunday 15 May. However, we also plan to extend the focus to the entire month of May, which gives churches and other groups wider freedom to present digital opportunities i > read more

Best church websites? And why?

Published on 2011-01-14 02:23:11

What does ‘best’ mean anyway? If it means, Grade A graphic design, here are some examples: 60 of the Best Church Website Designs | Vandelay’s 50 Best. If it means sites that actually engage with outsiders, avoid jargon, identif > read more

Facebook and mobile ministry for church and outreach

Published on 2011-01-12 06:24:37

This week’s social networking and mobile ministry resources: Drew Goodmanson interview on Church Planting and Technology. For those in the Des Moines area, social networking expert and pastor Justin Wise offers a 2 March morning seminar: Digita > read more

Cultural changes in past 10 years

Published on 2011-01-06 02:08:18

Best person to ask about the cultural trends of the last 10 years is a culture watcher. Here’s Andy Crouch: Ten Most Significant Cultural Trends of the Last Decade For thoughts on the last 10 years in technical terms, see ZDNet | Guardian > read more

Facebook connections as an amazing world graphic

Published on 2011-01-04 02:46:48

Paul Butler, an engineering intern at Facebook, took 10 million pairs of friends and created a data map to show which cities had a lot of friendship between them. He explains here how he did it. (Thanks to Equipping for Eministry blog for pointing me > read more

Trends for digital evangelism in 2011

Published on 2011-01-01 02:11:43

Thoughts about trends and opportunities this year: Facebook will continue to grow beyond its current 500 million user level. It is now claimed to be the most popular website in the world. Note Mashable’s social networking predictions for 2011. > read more

Looking back at Christmas

Published on 2010-12-30 02:14:47

Mary (Tatiana Maslany) and Joseph (Andrew Buchan) welcome a new arrival. BBC. The BBC 4-part serial Nativity aired in the week before Christmas to wide acclaim. If it was not screened in your country, doubtless it will available on DVD before long. I > read more