Automations and Ministry – What is it good for? Absolutely something. I hate ads, but I have to pay bills. If you would like to help support me and my family financially please check out these companies that I have an affiliate relationship with (means that buying their services won’t cost you extra, but will pay me a little money). Bluehost web hosting, 8×8 VOIP phone solutions, and Carbonite online backup solutions are the three products I recommend even if people don’t use my affiliate links. I use them myself. Feel free to click the link and explore even if you don’t plan to buy. Automations – the Good notifying ministers of certain needs within the congregation. If a person misses small group a certain number of times, I get a notification to contact them.grouping people for communication purposes.scheduling messages.designing a bot to answer basic questionscan enable you to provide the level of pastoral care that you desire as you scale up in number of people. Automations – the Bad sending personal messages, people notice when they receive a canned message.bots cannot answer all questions that people will ask.require time for planning and forethought. What You Need to Know 11/20/2019 The USA’s Nuclear forces finally upgraded from their 8 inch floppy disk based systems. No this is not a joke. Until recently they were running the massive nuclear arsenal on a system that was seriously outdated, and not connected to the internet. Surprisingly they have described those things as advantages. They claimed lack of internet helped prevent hacking, as did relying on old specs that few people are familiar with. I’m not so sure the second point is valid, but the first point surely is. So what does this mean for your church? My first take is that you don’t need the latest and greatest hardware to do ministry. Our church has a handful of devices over 7 years old. We have a couple nearing the 10 year mark. They perform the task that we need, so why would we upgrade? One of the most painful parts of upgrading is re-training your people and re-writing guides to how to perform certain tasks. Both of those things are extremely time consuming, and that’s on top of the cost of the new hardware/software. My advice is only upgrade when needed – it has worked fine for the nuclear arsenal. Chances are it can work in your church too. Now please don’t mis-interpret me as saying, “upgrades don’t matter.” Our church has a pretty recent and pretty beefy video editing machine. My point in this post is that our people who only need a web-browser to do email and access membership records don’t need the latest macbook pro. The post Automations and Ministry – What is it Good for? appeared first on Bible-Tech.
I hate ads, but I have to pay bills. If you would like to help support me and my family financially please check out these companies that I have an affiliate relationship with (means that buying their services won’t cost you extra, but will pay me a little money). Bluehost web hosting, 8×8 VOIP phone solutions, and Carbonite online backup solutions are the three products I recommend even if people don’t use my affiliate links. I use them myself. Feel free to click the link and explore even if you don’t plan to buy. New Streaming Setup My church bought a Blackmagic TV Studio Pro 4k a few weeks ago, and a few other accessories to go along with it. I really like it, even though it has some weird things going on. The build quality feels great, and the functionality is awesome. The way that they basically expect you to run a computer alongside the control surface is a little bit weird. So, if I were you I would probably get an ATEM 1 M/E Production Studio 4k and then use a midi interface to control the parts you want physical control over. What You Need to Know 10/23 Edition Disney+ is launching, ESPN+ has millions of subscribers, and Netflix has increasing profits at this time. NVIDIA is launching some new streaming hardware. Why does that matter? Your church needs to be streaming on different platforms!! I’m not just talking about Worship Services. Yes I think it’s good to stream Worship Services, but I don’t think that’s all that should appear on your channels. What about a weekly live prayer meeting with a couple of staff members? What about a short devotional once a week or so? How about a missions update from someone/some church that your church supports? We are soliciting testimony videos that relate to our core values to show. We as believers need to be able to undergird what we do on the weekend with content/material/guidance across the week also! The post My Church’s New Streaming Video Setup Review + What You Need to Know 10/23 appeared first on Bible-Tech.
Tech News that Impacts the Church There are two headlines over at the Verge that I think show a shift in our culture. I think it’s one that churches should watch. The first headline has to do with the global reach of Overwatch League. The second has to do with Elizabeth Warren wants to hire tech-savvy people to work for congress in order to explain tech-stuff to policy makers. These people would be independent from lobbyists so that Big Tech companies would have less of an ability to shape the conversation around policy. So how does this impact the Church you may ask? I think taking these two bits of news into account can help us in taking church tech to the next level. First I think we need to take video game culture seriously. Now that people can earn scholarships to colleges for playing video games, and even play games professionally that are televised on ESPN or some other content provider. We need to watch our rhetoric from stage about video games. There are a lot of people in the church who play video games regularly! percent who play video games regularly by age group The story about Government and understanding tech shows us that churches will need a dedicated tech person. In most cases this person will not be paid, but in larger churches they probably should be paid. I don’t have in mind a person in charge of operating complicated tech stuff, though it could be that person. I mean someone who can explain the use of complicated tech stuff to the staff, to the congregation, etc. And this person can advise church members on the use of technology – not as tech support, but as a means of keeping kids safe, or protecting your identity. I mean more of a Tech Usage Advisor than a Tech Director. Odds are you have someone in your congregation who is tech savvy. You can ask them to put together some resources for your church to use. It may be a great way to involve someone in the mission of your church, and use a person who you aren’t currently using. Doing this things will help us in taking church tech to the next level. The post Taking Church Tech to the Next Level appeared first on Bible-Tech.
I’ve started teaching online recently, and I’ve been impressed with the approach that MBTS takes toward online learning. Some Strengths of Online Courses for Teaching the Bible Flexibility of ScheduleClaritySelf-PacedFrequently Available Some Weaknesses of Online Courses for Teaching the Bible Can be impersonalTendency to become abstractly focused and not practicalCan stunt the development of new teachers Tech News and the Church I found this article describing the way that a college professor has been impacted by students who have a social (or maybe social media) agenda. It says, “the experience left a mark on Ruberg, who says they’ve become more hesitant to include material about gender, sexuality, and race on their syllabuses. They’ve become wary, in some ways, of their students.” Churches are not free from people with these same agendas. How do we respond to this cultural reality? Do we become hesitant? Careful? Overly Brash as an attempt to counter the movement? Links Instructure Some other good platforms for Online Courses I hate ads, but I have to pay bills. If you would like to help support me and my family financially please check out these companies that I have an affiliate relationship with (means that buying their services won’t cost you extra, but will pay me a little money). Bluehost web hosting, 8×8 VOIP phone solutions, and Carbonite online backup solutions are the three products I recommend even if people don’t use my affiliate links. I use them myself. Feel free to click the link and explore even if you don’t plan to buy. The post Online Course at Church to Teach the Bible appeared first on Bible-Tech.
Today I want to share a sermon that I preached a few weeks ago at my church, Greenwood Baptist Church, in Weatherford Texas. Based on the stories of Enoch and Elijah, I discuss 3 marks of a faith that inspires people even after your life is over. First, a regular daily devotion to God that is habitual. Second, taking a stand for God in a way that requires faith. Third, leading others to imitate your faith. The post 3 Marks of a Legendary Faith appeared first on Bible-Tech.
Let’s talk about technology that can help you teach others about the Bible, or whatever else you are teaching! When you’re teaching you definitely don’t want to lose the notes that you’ve prepared! Using Carbonite Online Backup solutions will eliminate that risk by backing up your documents to the cloud in a secure way. Find out more by clicking here and using my affiliate link. You will not be charged anything extra, but you will be helping me afford to buy my children name brand cereal! Presentation Software I’ve used Powerpoint, Google Slides, and Prezi. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. But you need to pick one. You will have people in your audience who are visual learners and they need to see something to help anchor what you are teaching. Memory Work – Repitition I suggest using Quizlet to build flashcards for whatever it is that you are teaching and then make those flashcards publicly available. The quizlet app is free in the app store and community created flashcards can be used free of charge. Evaluation You can use some sort of online form, or paper test, or something in between. The point is that people will want to see that they really have learned something. News and Notes ArsTechnica has an article called “New ransomware infections are the worst drive-by attacks in recent memory.” Bottom line, you should have a firewall of some kind and a password changing guideline in place for your organization. The post Teaching with Technology appeared first on Bible-Tech.
No matter what size church you are, or how many TV’s, computers, and printers you have, you need to be planning to replace church technology. 8×8 can provide your church or business with a quality phone system within your budget needs!! Use my affiliate link to get a free quote today and help me feed my kids. I’ve included links to the average lifespan of some items below: TV’s last 7-10 years (https://www.reviewed.com/televisions/features/how-long-should-a-tv-last) Computers (Mac or PC) last about 4-5 years (https://www.bustle.com/p/when-is-it-time-to-buy-a-new-computer-these-are-the-tell-tale-signs-you-need-to-say-goodbye-6457626) Interestingly, hard drives tend to fail after about 3-5 years. So sometimes you can get by with a simple hard drive replacement. Projectors last about 7-10 years, but you’ll replace bulbs more frequently (https://smallbusiness.chron.com/lifetime-projector-72221.html) Networking Equipment lasts about 5+ years (https://info.hummingbirdnetworks.com/blog/how-often-should-i-replace-my-networking-devices) A/V Equipment probably lasts about 5-7 years depending on the use case. NEWS AND NOTES You might really want to stay away from Huawei products… Reuters reports that Huawei employees worked with Chinese military employees on research projects. The post Planning to Replace Church Technology appeared first on Bible-Tech.
A friend asked me to write curriculum for our Youth Camp again this year, so I thought I would share it here. Please keep in mind that the MS word document you download is not a “finished product” in the sense of a printable curriculum. I submitted this manuscript to an editor. The editor took the content and arranged it and formatted it for their particular design needs. I wrote this curriculum for a camp called Intensity Youth Camp. The theme for 2019 is “Urgency.” Feel free to use this material free of charge. For reference it took me about a day and a half of work to write this material. So, if you have any amazon shopping to do, please use my affiliate link so that a portion of your purchase will go to feeding my 3 kids. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE CURRICULUM BY CLICKING HERE The post Youth Camp Curriculum 2019 appeared first on Bible-Tech.
This isn’t like replacing an engine or something that requires special tools. If you can follow directions and you have a small Phillips-head screwdriver, you can do this! Main Story: About 10-12 times a year I replace a hard drive on Windows or Mac devices. I’ve become pretty comfortable with the process, and the main problem that crops up. So, I’m sharing the Windows process here! You’ll need EaseUS Partition Master. In case you have the common problem that I talked about, you can fix the MBR by following these instructions. Link to the Hard Drive to USB adapter. If you want a reliable 500gb ssd, here’s one I recommend. Please check out Carbonite Online Backup Solution Big Tech Headline for the Church: Now more nations are in agreement on 5G standards worldwide. How this matters to your church! Ask me for advice on your next Tech Project, and I’ll talk about it on the show!! Send me an email!! The post Replace a Hard Drive appeared first on Bible-Tech.
This week we help a listener with a possible phone system solution. We also talk about Big Tech’s new emphasis on privacy and the implications for the church. Main Story: VOIP phone systems like 8×8 can be cost-effective solutions for your church, non-profit, or small business. Please check out Carbonite Online Backup Solution Big Tech Headline for the Church: Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is emphasizing privacy, sort of. What that means for your church! If you want some advice on your next tech project, send me an email! Your project might be featured on an upcoming episode!! The post Phone System Help appeared first on Bible-Tech.
I suggest Bluehost for your webhosting needs! This episode gives a quick run-down of an effective solution for a small room. Hopefully this episode can save you some money! You might be able to use something like a Stereo Receiver with HDMI inputs. Want some help with a tech-problem? Email me the details and I’ll talk about “a solution” on the podcast! The post Small Room Video Solutions appeared first on Bible-Tech.
I suggest Carbonite for all your backup needs! In this episode I share my strategy for using a captive portal on my church WiFi so that we can effectively welcome people to the church. Hopefully that welcome leads to a gospel conversation. You can use something like a Ubiquiti System to setup a Captive Portal. The post Captive Portal WiFi appeared first on Bible-Tech.
I had the opportunity to preach at my church, Greenwood Baptist Church in Weatherford TX a few months ago. I thought I would share that message here. The post Next Steps for the New Year appeared first on Bible-Tech.
This show is brought to you by Bluehost web hosting. I talked about several different products in this episode. First, we talked about restream.io, then Elexio Community, and also Planning Center. The post Restream.io and ChMS uses for your ministry appeared first on Bible-Tech.
This podcast is brought to you by Bluehost web hosting. Some of my goals for 2019 for the media ministry at Greenwood: 1) Setup an Online Campus, 2) Invest More Resources into Training, 3) Maximize Church Management Software. Join the conversation on the bible-tech.net blog! The post 2019 Tech Goals appeared first on Bible-Tech.
In this conversation Stephen and I talk about live streaming church services. We serve in very different contexts. He’s in a very traditional style of worship service, and I am in a modern worship context. Yet, we both have some of the same needs in terms of equipment and know how. I mentioned an article about live streaming to Facebook Live with OBS, and you can find that article here. Stephen and I talked about the Blackmagic Design TV Studio Pro 4k. I mentioned Carbonite, an online backup solution in the show. The post Conversation with Stephen Bolech appeared first on Bible-Tech.
Church AV Network Carbonite backup services literally saved all the pictures and videos of my kids from a fire. I use it personally, at church, and recommend it to my personal clients. Consumer Models of Church AV Network Matrix Switchers Button with lights Delay switch sources, may take 2 seconds with an obvious screen blip No preview screen Plenty of lag in conversions Not network accessible Not rack mountable Probably HDMI signals so not more than 50ft transmission May/may not have rs232 remote Example: J-Tech 4×4 Switcher ProSumer Models of Church AV Network Matrix Switchers may/may not have buttons Probably no preview screen Slight delay in switching sources Some lag in conversions, but not much Network accessible HDMI converted to ethernet for long transmission Probably rack mountable may/may not have rs232 Example: J-Tech Digital ProAV Network Matrix Switch Professional Models of Church AV Network Matrix Switchers SDI connections so long transmission, especially if using some sort of fiber converter Physical buttons has preview screen Almost no lag because of analog signals Network accessible Definitely rack mountable Rs232 control for sure Example: Blackmagic smart videohub
Survey Monkey Uses in a Local Church 2018 Bluehost is a great place to start a wordpress site, or maybe you want to migrate a current wordpress site over to them. I’ve had great luck with their support over the past 3 years. Top Uses for Survey Monkey in a Local Church: Guest Feedback Event Evaluation Test an Idea Self Evaluation Gather Anonymous info on Congregation for Ministry
Sponsored by Bluehost web hosting service We use iPads in at least 8 different ways in our local church. Registration Kiosk Sign-up lists Children’s Check-In Music Stand ProPresenter Remote ProPresenter Stage Display Sound Board Interface Payment Processor Do you have any other suggestions for using an iPad or Tablet in a local church? If so drop me an email today! Be sure to subscribe for free to this Podcast so that you’ll get all the episodes for free as soon as they launch! Also, please check out the website www.bible-tech.net