What is ChaCha? And How can it Help Church and Ministry?
Posted on 07. Jan, 2008 by Aaron Marshall in Church, Church Technology, How To, Mobile, Social Media
How To “ChaCha”: Send a Text Message to 242242 (ChaCha) and ask ANY Question
Your text message will then be forwarded to an actual person with an expertise related to what you are asking. After about 3-5 minutes you will receive a text message with an answer, a link to the source, and info about the “ChaCha Guide” who answered your question.
Types of Questions you might ask:
“Where is there a nice Mexican restaurant in Louisville Ky?”
“What is the worlds largest church?”
“How much do the new smart cars cost?”
“Where could I find a nice pair of sheep skin flip flops?
“Who is Aaron Marshall of Louisville?”
For now this service is free, and eventually they will somehow advertise through it… In the mean time enjoy!
What Benefit (if any) Does ChaCha have for Church and Ministry?
I am having a hard time in seeing how this applies to church and ministries learning social media, but this new service is just too interesting, and incredibly useful for day to day life. If you have any ideas on how it can used, be sure to comment.
Twitterpated!? A Tutorial For Managing Multiple Twitter Accounts
Posted on 09. Dec, 2007 by Aaron Marshall in Church, Church Technology, Church2.0, Evangelism, How To, Mobile, Social Media
Its nice to have separate Twitter accounts for different ministries and church groups. Some of the possible uses include:
- Daily Thought/Prayer/Verse Related to Sermon Series or Group Study
- Morning Prayer and Meditation Spark
- Reminders to Pray for Specific Items
- Daily Spiritual Challenges
Signing up for the individual accounts is easy… Managing them day to day can be difficult.
How To Download and Embed YouTube Videos into a Powerpoint Presentation
Posted on 03. Dec, 2007 by Aaron Marshall in Church, Church Technology, How To, Social Media
I have recently been asked by multiple pastors and missionaries how they can play YouTube videos without having to be at YouTubes website. The problems are obvious…
The 2 Obvious Problems when Trying to Use YouTube in a Sermon or Presentation
Problem#1 YouTube Has Inappropriate Preview Images
This is not good if you want to show a video to an audience of ANY size. This is especially true of the homepage, which should be strongly avoided.
Problem#2 Good Internet Connection is Never Guaranteed
I have shown web pages in presentations dozens of times, and almost every time I had internet issues. Very Frustrating.
A Simple 2 Step Process for Downloading a YouTube video and inserting it into a PowerPoint presentation.
Step #1 Choose a Free YouTube Downloading software
- Media Converter
- Zamzar
- I like the 2 services above, but if you need more options checkout 23 ways to download YouTube videos
Step #2 Embed Video with Powerpoint Software (watch video)
YouTube has a ton of great content that can add a lot to a sermon or a presentation, but we must be careful not to endorse or broadcast inappropriate content to our audience.
If You Plan To Share Video Online Switch To Vimeo
Vimeo has taken the guess work out of sharing videos and has a nifty little tool that allows folks to download the raw file of the video. Look to the bottom right hand corner of this page for this button.
Spread Wi-Fi Love: How To Share Christ by Sharing your Internet Connection
Posted on 28. Oct, 2007 by Aaron Marshall in Church, Evangelism, How To
Step #1 Change the settings of your wireless router/network to be open to the public.
If you are selfish like me the first thought that comes to mind is that “My internet will always be slow!”… If you notice that it is running unbearably slow and you cant do your everyday functions, simply shut it off at those times.
Step#2 Customize the name of your wireless network with a good message
Make the name of your wireless network show people that you are a Christian who cares and maybe throw your church website in there so that they can respond.
Examples of good wireless network names:
-
“FREENetFrm OURCHURCH.COM Members”
-
“FREENetFrmYorFrndlyChrstnNgbrs
” -
“FREENetFrm SOJOURNCHURCH.COM Mbrs”
A simple way to show your neighbors kindness, and gently invite them to church. This works especially well in concentrated living areas, condominiums and apartment complexes.
Using Twitter for Ministry, Church and Missions
Posted on 17. Oct, 2007 by Aaron Marshall in Church, Evangelism, How To, Social Media, Social Networking
Social networks up to this point have had several major shortcomings:
- Substantial time investment to get even a semi completed profile.
- Too many features to fiddle with.
- Distasteful advertisements.
- Difficult to maintain current information.
- Must be at a computer to update.
- Hard to get non-tech savvy people to join.
The Solution: Twitter – Social Networking for Busy and Non-Tech Savvy People 
Twitter works on a model of speed and simplicity. Rather than trying to pack a whole bunch of features that we don’t have time to use, Twitter focuses on the simple and surprisingly important question of “What are you doing right now?” I originally thought this was a lame idea, until I realized that seeing what people are doing is what I use social networks for. Twitter simply simplified things.
Twitter in Plain English
Some of the Benefits of Twitter:
- Ability to stay connected with friends amidst busy schedules.
- Learn about friends and acquaintances in small digestible pieces, rather than a massive profile overload.
- Get updates regularly via text messages (easy to turn off an on).
- Simple controls allow you to manage your profile from a mobile phone or from a computer.
- Non-tech savvy folks can sign-up from a mobile phone and be apart without having to be a geek.
Possible Use #1 Pastors to People
Pastors can use Twitter to have a more personal connection with hundreds of people, without being bogged down by 2 way messaging.
Possible Use #2 Between Group Members
Small groups can use Twitter to learn about each others day to day lives, fostering better connections and deeper relationships.
Possible Use #3 Marketplace Ministry
People using Twitter to open their lives to co-workers, seekers and non-believers.
Possible Use# 4 Missionaries to Supporters
Not that this needs much explanation, but imagine how powerful it would be to follow missionaries play by play.
Services like Twitter are being developed and spreading virally everyday, rather than fighting our unstoppable fast paced culture lets pick-up some simple tools and fight to stay connected!
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