WEB EVANGELISM BULLETIN
. . . learning from each other
W-E-B Issue 175~ November 2009
Monthly ISSN 471-0323
News this time...
FREE EBOOK ON WEB COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL NETWORKING
ESCAPING FROM EVANGELISM METHODS THAT DON'T SUIT YOU
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
STATISTICS ON WEB USAGE
MORE ON SOCIAL NETWORKING
LAST CALL: DIGIMISSION - WITH SHANE HIPPS IN LONDON 1 DECEMBER
MISSION AND MINISTRY
CULTURE AND FILM
WORLD WE LIVE IN
TECH TIPS
TAILEND
"When the winds of change blow, some seek shelter, others build windmills" - Chinese Proverb
FREE EBOOK ON WEB COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL NETWORKING
Social by Social
A practical guide to using new technologies to deliver social impact
256 pages
ISBN 978-1-906496-41-8
Available as a paperback, to read online, or as a free PDF download.
It's just been published by UK's NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), and is written specifically for the public and non-profit sectors. Essentially it is a valuable practical guide to using Web 2.0 concepts and social networking to communicate effectively.
Read more and download:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/1045
ESCAPING FROM EVANGELISM METHODS THAT DON'T SUIT YOU
Book review on the just-released...
Got Style? Personality-based Evangelism
Jeffrey A Johnson
ISBN 978-0-8170-1555-8
Judson Press
We usually find it frustrating and discouraging to try and fulfill a role for which we do not have the gifts - it's like being a square peg in a round hole. It is yet more condemning to feel completely inadequate in comparison with those who do seem to have these gifts.
Yet how good it seems when our gifts and temperament match our responsibilities and ministry. And how important that we should be sufficiently self-aware to understand our personality type, strengths and weaknesses.
Johnson's new book will come as a huge relief to those who have felt pressured into
styles or systems of evangelism that did not match their personality, or who retreated
from any sort of faith sharing because a particular and uncomfortable method was presented
to them as 'the only way'. Many would rather chew off their own ear than do door-to-door
evangelism, for instance.
'Got style?' proposes that there are six very different methods of evangelism, based on six personality types. A simple self-assessment questionnaire enables you to find the one or two styles that especially match your personality. Johnson goes on to unpack each style, showing how it works and fits the way you think and communicate best. For each style, he explains its strength and weakness, gives biblical and contemporary case studies, and makes outreach suggestions.
Read more, with a guest blog explanation by Johnson:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/1001
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Watch a thought-provoking video that demonstrates 'thinking outside the box' - and
thereby enticing people to stop and do something in a different way. Adding fun to the
equation makes a big difference, creates desire, and unlocks our inner child.
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/blog/archives/1019
STATISTICS ON WEB USAGE
Steven Kryger writes in Communicate Jesus blog that Facebook accounts for 29% of all time spent online by Australians:
* In October, Australian users spent 27.2 hours online - 7.55 of which were spent on
Facebook
* In the same month, Australian users uploaded 80 million pictures, wrote 32 million 'wall
posts' and 45 million 'status updates'
He goes on to suggest ways to use Facebook effectively:
http://communicatejesus.com/2009/11/four-staggering-facebook-statistics/
MOST PEOPLE GO ONLINE TO SOCIALIZE, says WebProNews. It's 72%, they say, quoting
research from Ruder Finn consultants. Also check Ruder Finn's very useful piechart, giving
reasons for going online, under the headings Learn, Have Fun, Socialize, Express Yourself,
Advocate, Do Business, and Shop.
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/06/30/study-most-people-go-online-to-socialize
View Ruder Finn's interactive piechart 'Intent is the New Demographic':
First see results by age of users:
http://www.ruderfinn.com/rfrelate/intent/intent-index.html
Then click on the 'full index' link to get a more detailed flash graphic. (Being Flash,
there is no back-button option for this, you need to refresh to return to the page
information.)
MORE ON SOCIAL NETWORKING
HOW TO IMPROVE A BLOG POST by Ed Cyzewski
"Bloggers are always told that the most important step in drawing readers is writing great
content. 'Content is king,' as they say. Even if you have a great idea and some excellent
writing skills, here are a few ways to improve your blog post:"
http://www.edcyz.com/how-to-improve-a-blog-post/11/
HOW AND WHY I AM TWEETING by John Piper
"I see two kinds of response to social Internet media like blogging, MySpace, Facebook,
Twitter, and others."
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2009/3951_Why_and_How_I_Am_Tweeting/
IS ONLINE COMMUNITY REAL? asks Justin Wise
"It's not that the question is wrong, per se, it's that the question is irrelevant. It's a
question that's already been answered," says Justin Wise. "It's interesting to note that
no one outside of the church is pondering this question. Nike isn't asking the question,
'do thousands of runners who converge on NikeRunning.com every day count as community?' To
Nike, the question isn't, 'does this count,' but 'community is here, now what are we going
to do with it?'"
http://www.bedeviant.com/asking-the-wrong-questions-about-online-community
Justin Wise also comments: "The Harvard Business blog had an article the other day that
was aptly titled, 'Five Mind-Blowing Web Stats.' The stats boiled down to this:"
http://www.bedeviant.com/know-about-web
HITWISE provides a clear analysis of web visits in various countries. There is
invaluable research analysis on all sorts of trends. You can subscribe to their newsletter
and press release distribution:
http://www.hitwise.com/
IE6: the browser that won't die. A surprising number of users still have IE6, and this
may not change any time soon:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/oct/28/upgrading-internet-explorer-6
It's a surprising 24%, according to NetApps:
http://marketshare.hitslink.com/browser-market-share.aspx?qprid=3#
LAST CALL: DIGIMISSION - WITH SHANE HIPPS IN LONDON 1 DECEMBER
UK's Evangelical Alliance and Slipstream Podcast present a day conference in London UK, with Shane Hipps (speaking by live video), Maggi Dawn, Jonny Baker, Mark Meynell and Krish Kandiah. "We will be looking at a number of issues - not just blogging but looking at how mission might need to look, recognising that more and more of us are spending time online - on social networks, twitter, blogs, etc. How should that change the way we do conventional mission and online mission?" http://www.eauk.org/slipstream/events/digimission.cfm
MISSION AND MINISTRY
FREE PDF BOOKLETS TO DOWNLOAD from Christian Publicity and Outreach:
http://www.cpo.org.uk/inspiration/downloads
MORE FREE BOOKS - our book review section includes a range of free downloads:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/books.php
FRIENDSHIP - In the term 'friendship evangelism', what does 'friend' actually mean?
http://www.brianjones.com/2009/11/rethinking-evangelism/
http://www.web-evangelism.com/offsitelink?b09nov-relationships
AVOIDING CHRISTIANESE JARGON - grateful thanks to IE Day associate Rusty Wright for a
new guide on how to avoid using 'Christianese' jargon in evangelism, with a table of
suggested neutral alternatives for many Christian words:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/christianese
MISSION MOBILIZATION - 7 ideas from Caleb Resources:
http://www.calebresources.org/node/303
CAREY: Did William Carey choose wisely?
http://missionalspace.com/?p=472
COLLABORATON - Wilder Collaboration Factors Inventory offers a free online
collaboration assessment, helping your organization to assess how effectively you are
collaborating with others:
http://wilderresearch.org/tools/cfi/index.php
UK RADIO: UK's two Christian radio networks Premier and UCB are now available through
most of UK on DAB digital radio, having up to now been restricted to FM London area
(Premier) and TV radio-pickup on satellite/cable plus web streaming:
http://www.premier.org.uk/
http://www.ucb.co.uk/
TRUTH AS IDOL - How to recognise when truth becomes our idol - thoughts from Ed
Cyzewski:
http://inamirrordimly.com/2009/11/20/how-to-recognize-when-truth-becomes-our-idol/
CHRISTIANITY MAGAZINE - as an enticement to new subscribers, UK's flagship Christian
magazine is offering its December issue free online as a taster:
http://www.christianitymagazine.co.uk/digimag.aspx
IE DAY latest news release is still available as a Word file:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/latestnews
Our free two-page handout in PDF format can be downloaded:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/pdfhandout
IE Day 2010 is scheduled for Sunday 25 April.
CULTURE AND FILM
FRIENDS FOR LIFE from Grizzly Adams® Productions has been selected to receive a
Redemptive Storyteller Award by the Virginia-based Redemptive Film Festival:
http://www.grizzlyadams.com
INDIA - The Third Galilean 'Excellence in Christian Media Awards' will be held on
Thursday 7th January 2010 at the Kamaraj Arangam, Chennai, India. Galilean International
Film and Television Services spearhead this effort:
http://www.galilean.org/
JAPAN: 'LET'S LOVE JAPAN' is a new ministry aiming to produce anime-style video for
Japanese mobile phone users:
http://www.letslovejapan.org/
If you are unfamiliar with anime as an art-form, watch a compilation of award-winning
Studio Ghibli clips here:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/japan-web-evangelism.php
U2 Quiz from Sol. O Mann - finding the spiritual parallels:
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/u2
LORD OF THE RINGS - as a flow chart:
http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/423/
WORLD WE LIVE IN
SWINE FLU: It's hard to now how bad swine flu will turn out in the coming months,
though 30% of children in UK have already had it, mostly without knowing, creating a large
reservoir of resistance. If it's bad in your area, check:
http://www.web-evangelism.com/offsitelink?b09nov-swineflu
ATHEIST ADVERT: Children in UK atheist advert are evangelicals!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6925781.ece
RIP GEOCITIES - Gone but not forgotten:
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/10/26/rip-geocities-the-old-days-remembered
TECH TIPS
- non-techies look away now
SCROLL a page automatically when it opens (either in a frame or not) to an exact pixel
point both vertically and horizontally:
http://www.willmaster.com/library/features/automatic-scroll-to-exact-pixel-position-when-page-loads.php
IFRAMES - How to add iframes to XMTHL 1.0:
http://archive.devwebpro.com/2009/1106.html
PURE CSS image map from CSS wizard Stu Nicholls:
http://www.cssplay.co.uk/articles/imagemap/index.html
CSS FLYOUT MENUS - help for building them, and Javascript to reposition a submenu so it
never vanishes below the bottom of the screen:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/css-flyout-menus.php
DIAGONAL BANNERS are eye-catching because the text does not run horizontally. They work
well both in print media and online. To make your own diagonal banners, use this free
creator tool:
http://www.websiteribbon.com/
If you would like to use our IE Day diagonal banner on your site (any corner option is
available), get the code here:
http://www.internetevangelismday.com/banner-linking.php
30 WEB APPS to do ministry on the cheap:
http://communicatejesus.com/2009/11/30-web-apps-to-do-ministry-on-the-cheap/
IMAGES: How to choose the best photos for your website - "all pictures are not created
equal":
http://www.wilsonweb.com/design/niehaus-choosing-images1.htm
GOOGLE: 6 Ways to Organize Your Ministry or Church Web Site to Boost Your Rankings:
http://ministrymarketingcoach.com/2009/11/02/what-google-values-6-ways-to-boost-your-ministry-or-church-web-site-rankings
TAILEND ô¿ô
"As God once said, and I think rightly..." - Margaret Thatcher
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