Does your church use social media?

[Don]

What does your church do to utilize the internet as a tool for its church members?

Does it have a website, and/or Facebook page?

Does it use some service to send out text message "alerts" for closings, weather notifications, special notices about other church members?

Does your church post an internet page for church members to identify furniture, appliances, etc. that they're willing to sell cheaply/donate to other church members? Or provide services to other church members?

 

[Crabtownboy]

The church I am a member of has a web site and we all use e-mail extensively. I cannot remember when I last received anything from our church by snail-mail. Quite a bit of money is saved. I believe we have only one member who does not have access to the Internet.

 

[mont974x4]

We have a website and a Facebook page. However, they are not used all that much. 75% of our church is over 65 and many of them are not tech savvy and don't want to be.

 

[webdog]

We have a website and facebook members group page. We should start a twitter and facebook church page.

 

[Don]

We have a website and a Facebook page. However, they are not used all that much. 75% of our church is over 65 and many of them are not tech savvy and don't want to be.

Forgot to include this in the opening post: How about the senior citizens in the church? Does anyone use streaming video to allow "home-bound" church members to "participate" in church services/functions in "real time"?

Has anyone set up a group or organization within the church whereby the younger members assist the older members with such things? (thus increasing interation between all age groups in the church)

 

[Don]

Folks - I also posted an additional thread about networks in your church.

 

[annsni]

What does your church do to utilize the internet as a tool for its church members?

Does it have a website, and/or Facebook page?

Yes to both.

Does it use some service to send out text message "alerts" for closings, weather notifications, special notices about other church members?

We have started using MailChimp for that sort of thing. It makes the e-mails look nice.

Does your church post an internet page for church members to identify furniture, appliances, etc. that they're willing to sell cheaply/donate to other church members? Or provide services to other church members?

No.

 

[annsni]

Forgot to include this in the opening post: How about the senior citizens in the church? Does anyone use streaming video to allow "home-bound" church members to "participate" in church services/functions in "real time"?

No streaming video but we do post the podcasts within a few days.

Has anyone set up a group or organization within the church whereby the younger members assist the older members with such things? (thus increasing interation between all age groups in the church)

No. Many older members aren't interested in the technology stuff.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Does it use some service to send out text message "alerts" for closings, weather notifications, special notices about other church members?

That seems to me to be a total waste of money. It is so easy to let everyone know anything that everyone needs to know.

Does your church post an internet page for church members to identify furniture, appliances, etc. that they're willing to sell cheaply/donate to other church members? Or provide services to other church members?

We do not use the Internet for selling of items. We do use the Internet in setting up meals for those who need them, for coordinating other tasks that need to be done, and for making appointments for meetings, etc.

Every sermon is available to listen to on our web site.

 

[mont974x4]

No streaming video or realtime audio. We use sermon.net to host our sermon audio which we link to on our website.

We have used Facebook to remind people about upcoming events and to place pictures from events for people to enjoy or even share on their own wall. I have uploaded sermon video (I personally own a camera and had to make DVD's for my preaching classes) and audio to my personal Facebook page when people have requested it.


As to weather alerts or emergency closing it only takes a few texts and a couple of calls and the word gets out quickly. Having mainly older congregants means they wouldn't be coming out anyways.

 

[annsni]

That seems to me to be a total waste of money. It is so easy to let everyone know anything that everyone needs to know.

I'm not in charge of it but I just looked up MailChimp and it's free for up to 2000 e-mail recipients. That should work for most churches.

 

[Don]

If you have a Google Voice account, you can specify multiple users for the same text message (for free). If you have your Google contacts set up in groups, you can specify a group (that contains your church members), type in the message, and hit "Send," and everyone gets the notification.

Just things to think about.

As for selling - what I'm trying to imply is a "church bulletin board," albeit on the church website. Not necessarily for selling, but mainly identifying two categories: those who need something, and those who have something that might fulfill a need. I don't see a problem with selling a couch for $25, for example; or offering it for free. (this most likely wouldn't be a consideration for smaller churches; but for churches with memberships of, say, 500 and over, it might be a way to let people know who has a need, and who has stuff that can fulfill a need).

 

[HeDied4U]

My church has a website and a facebook page.

It also recently developed its own app.

We are cutting edge :smilewinkgrin:

 

[mcdirector]

What does your church do to utilize the internet as a tool for its church members?

Does it have a website, and/or Facebook page?

Does it use some service to send out text message "alerts" for closings, weather notifications, special notices about other church members?

Does your church post an internet page for church members to identify furniture, appliances, etc. that they're willing to sell cheaply/donate to other church members? Or provide services to other church members?

We have both. There are several fb pages for different ministries but not a group page. I like that idea.

We haven't been asked about info for texts. But we do get email alerts.

No on the last one.