TECHNOLOGY EMPOWERING MINISTRY www.ministrytech.com August 2016 How a rdr s HaiCreatede ser a Mobile Prayer App - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - God used a man who hated technology and turned him into a tech entrepreneur. >> BIBLE READING IS DOWN! >> SHOULD CHURCHES & MINISTRIES EMBRACE THE CLOUD? >> 6 REASONS YOU NEED OLIVE TREE BIBLE STUDY 6 FOR MAC CONTENTS 8 bible reading 8.16 is down! Technology is poised to make a difference in how we hear God’s word. 4 How a should churches Hairdresser and ministries created a mobile embrace prayer app the cloud? Mobile tAPPestry Some decisions are connects prayer warriors too important for IT with prayer needs. to make alone. 10 know 27 your church software provider Just because you have used the same system for the last 10 years doesn’t mean it’s still the right choice for your church today. This Summer Give Your Website a Facelift . 12 HIGHER POWER 18 6 Reasons You Part 2 | Why Is “Growth” Such a Dirty Word Need Olive Tree in Some Churches? . 15 Bible Study 6 Chromebook Hardware Now Runs Android Apps . 21 for Mac If you were worried about “High Tech” Can Also Mean “High Touch” . 24 Olive Tree after Harper Collins purchased it, you can relax. 2 | MinistryTech.com A Word from the editor Ray Hollenbach Editor Ray Hollenbach [email protected] Wise and Creative Art Director Beth VanDyke ne of the great things about and support Bible reading using port- bethvandyke.com the world of technology is able devices to both read the Bible Contributing Editors O its openness: great ideas and and encourage others to do the same Yvon Prehn great inventions can come from (see Yvon Prehn and Kevin Purcell’s Nick Nicholaou the most unlikely sources. For contributions this month). Russ McGuire Jonathan Smith example, our cover story details As technology opens up new Steven Sundermeier how a hair stylist and salon avenues for serving the church, our Kevin Purcell owner connected prayer needs models of ministry will continue to Copy Editor to prayer warriors by helping grow and change: what used to be Rachael Mitchell develop a mobile app. the private work of a church staff It’s a real-life parable of God’s can become the joyful collaboration Publisher Kingdom. The Holy Spirit moves of crowd-sourcing within an entire through the church inspiring serv- congregation. Contact information is ice and comforting those in need— no longer the stuff of a once-a-year Outreach Inc. 5550 Tech Center Dr. and the Holy Spirit almost always church directory; church communi- Colorado Springs, CO 80919 uses people to do God’s work. John cation is going real-time and mobile, (800) 991-6011 Wimber, a church growth consult- enabling instant response to those ant (and founder of the Vineyard in need; the needs of the community Ministry Tech® is a registered trademark of Outreach, Inc. Church movement), used to tell need not wait until a Sunday morn- Written materials submitted people, “Everyone gets to play” when ing service, they can be shared—and to Ministry Tech® Magazine become the property of it comes to ministry. That’s certainly addressed—as a part of everyday life. Outreach, Inc. upon receipt the case when it comes to creative Church leaders have longed to and may not necessarily applications of technology among see the day of a fully mobilized be returned. Ministry Tech® Magazine reserves the right God’s people. congregation. Wise and creative uses to make any changes to Thanks to cloud-based comput- of technology can make the church materials submitted for publication that are deemed ing (see Jonathan Smith’s overview effective in ways we have never necessary for editorial in this edition) nearly any church imagined. What ideas can you imple- purposes. The content of this publication may not be member can contribute to the or- ment in your local church? Take a copied in any way, shape ganizational work of their church. peek at this month’s edition and find or form without the express Entire congregations can encourage something new to share! permission of Outreach, Inc. Views expressed in the articles and reviews printed within are not necessarily the views of the editor, publisher, or employees of Ministry Tech® Magazine, or Outreach, Inc. Ray Hollenbach is the Editor of Ministry Tech magazine. He has previously served as the © Copyright 2016 Outreach, Inc. editor of Outreach’s Better Preaching Update, and as the editor of the Pastor channel at All Rights Reserved Churchleaders.com. You can reach him at [email protected]. August 2016 | 3 COVER STORY How a rdress r HaiCreatede a Mobile Prayer App - - - - - - - - - - - ( STARTUP ) - - - - - - - - - - - by Russ McGuire 4 | MinistryTech.com God used a man who hated technology and turned him into a tech entrepreneur. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - n this article series, we’ve defined a says that he was excited and shocked to get the clear Christian entrepreneur as a person driv- sense that God wanted him to start a website where en to glorify God in all he does, ruled people could request prayer and could leave audible byI the Word of God, who starts a new venture prayers for others. and is willing to risk a loss in order to achieve When he returned home, Josh started writ- the success of the venture. Each month I’ve ing out the vision for this new venture. He then been introducing you to specific Christian star- took it to Scott Seitz, a partner in a recent business tups and entrepreneurs, some of which may venture who is a talented software architect. Scott be helpful to your church, ministry, business, seized the vision and together they started putting or family, but my main intent is to encourage it together. Over the next few years, the team filled and inspire you to be entrepreneurial in your out with Dennis Clark and Mark Krienke joining ministry and career. the team, bringing their deep business and op- This month I’d like to introduce you to Josh erational experience to serve God’s kingdom. The Bellieu, who told me that his normal response to PrayOut website was built; people showed up; and technology is wanting to throw it out the window, prayers were being requested and prayed out loud. and yet God now has him as a co-founder of a tech- nology startup that could revolutionize how mobile Necessity Drives Innovation apps are developed. How could this be? The team knew they really needed a mobile app with access to a smartphone’s microphone and the It Starts With Prayer ability to create push notifications if they were go- Josh spent nearly 20 years as a hair stylist and ing to serve people when they most needed prayer. salon owner. During that time, his prayer life They looked at outsourcing development of an app, matured and he developed the habit of asking his but they simply couldn’t afford it. They tried using customers if he could pray for them—and began existing tools for simplifying app development with praying publicly with them. So it wasn’t a big limited success, and kept looking. That’s when, in surprise when 19 years ago one of his clients called answer to prayer, Scott had a breakthrough. He and left a message with the receptionist asking for found a new and better way to leverage the basic prayer. Josh later called his customer, but just got tools available to any full-stack web developer to their voicemail. Despite Josh’s technology dis- create a fully functional mobile app. In September comfort, he felt led to leave a prayer as a message. 2014 the PrayOut mobile app was finally in the Many years later he heard from his customer that Apple App Store. they had planned to take their life, but God pow- Josh shared that he was at the State Fair the erfully used Josh’s prayer. Josh started regularly night the app was published in the App Store. His leaving prayers as voicemails and was amazed by adult daughter was also there with her family. the impact they had. Early in the evening, Josh got a text from Scott Much later, in November 2010, Josh was in the with the news about the app and he downloaded it midst of a career transition. He was driving between to his phone. By the end of the evening, he was one cities one day, praying, asking for God direction. Josh of the first to use it, as he requested (Cont. on page 6) August 2016 | 5 mobile app and getting it into app stores. I asked Josh what his six-year journey has been like from technology skeptic to technology enabler. He said, “When our Father implants a dream or vision within the heart of an individual, we need to recognize that it is highly likely this will result in a great deal of discipline, transition, hardship, loss and discouragement. It will likely take a great deal longer to fulfill than initially imagined. I believe God intentionally leads us into these places so as to create a total dependency on Him in each moment. The resultant transformation is intimacy, broken- prayer for his daughter who had been rushed ness, trust and closeness with the Lord. And it’s to the hospital after a freak accident. The small not just me. The whole team has been through this PrayOut community ministered powerfully to together, giving us a greater depth of serving each Josh and his family, and they were blessed that his other and those the Father places in our path.” daughter was released with no injury.