Founder & Editor-in-Chief Steve Hewitt - [email protected] editorial Managing Editor Kevin Cross - [email protected] Applying Tomorrow’s Technology to Today’s Ministry Volume 26 August 2014 No. 8 Contributing Editors Yvon Prehn Nick Nicholaou Kevin A. Purcell 9 COVER STOR Y Russ McGuire Michael L White CHURCH COMMUNITY BUILDER WE B -BASED CHURCH MANAGEMENT SOFT W ARE Copy Editors Gina Hewitt BY STEVE HE W ITT Magen Cross EDITORIAL 3 Corporate Home Office Wow! - I loved the responses from this month’s question about WiFi By Steve Hewitt Mailing address: 306 Eagle Glen Ct 4 QUESTION OF THE MONTH Raymore MO 64083 WiFi is everywhere! By Steve Hewitt Phone: (816) 331-5252 FAX: 800-456-1868 14 SPECIAL FEATURE Churchteams A Closer Look © Copyright 2014 by Christian Computing®, Inc. By Steve Hewitt 16 MINISTRY LEADERSHIP All Rights Reserved Engagement Through Building Disciples By Michael L. Jordan Christian Computing® is a registered trademark 19 PROTECTED W ITH PURPOSE of Christian Computing, Inc. Written materials The #IceBucketChallenge Precaution submitted to Christian Computing® Magazine By Steven Sundermeier become the property of Christian Computing®, 22 CHURCH WINDO W S SOFT W ARE Inc. upon receipt and may not necessarily be re- Just A Snapshot? Or The Complete Picture? Fund Accounting and Reporting turned. Christian Computing® Magazine reserves By Craig Chadwell the right to make any changes to materials sub- 24 SPECIAL FEATURE mitted for publication that are deemed necessary Are You Spamming Your Congregants? An Interview with Servant Keeper: By Steve Hewitt for editorial purposes. The content of this publi- 27 HIGHER PO W ER WITH KEVIN cation may not be copied in any way, shape or 5 Tips for Better Sermon Prep Using Bible Software form without the express permission of Christian By Kevin A. Purcell Computing®, Inc. Views expressed in the articles 30 THE NEXT REVOLUTION and reviews printed within are not necessarily The Intelligence Revolution the views of the editor, publisher, or employees By Russ McGuire of Christian Computing® Magazine, or Christian 33 DIGITAL EVANGELISM Computing, Inc. Daisy-Chain Digital Evangelism By Michael White 36 MINISTRY COMMUNICATIO N More Than a Pretty Face 3 Essentials for an Effective Church Website By Yvon Prehn Articles that are highlighed are provided 39 NIC K AT CHURCH by our partners Smartphones iPhone vs Android www.ccmag.com/2007_03/2007_03editorial.pdf Nick Nicholaou Christian Computing® Magazine August 2014 2 editorial Wow! I loved the responses from this month’s question about WiFi Thank you so much for the great response to New Column Starting Next Month my question this month about WiFi. I was over- This month, you will note that the cover whelmed by the responses. We could only print story is about Church Community Builder. I a small portion of them, but it really gave me have been following the blogs that Steve Caton some great insight into how and why churches posts and feel he is very committed to helping are using WiFi. churches use technology to enhance and expand I also appreciated the email (although there their ministry opportunities. Therefore, I have were only about five) from those that are not asked him to write some articles for us, allow- providing WiFi, and your reasons. One of the ing him to share some of his insight into what things I stand firm on is the right for each pastor churches are doing or need to be doing. Steve to do what he feels is right for his church. WiFi will do a column for at least six months, starting obviously isn’t for everyone. next month. I think we will all learn something However, as you read the article in this from what he has to share! month’s issue, I hope you will get excited as Thanks again for all who responded to this you near the end and read not only how church- month’s question. Watch your emails for our es have set up their WiFi, but how they are us- question for September! ing it. Some are actively using WiFi even during their worship service since they use Proclaim Together We Serve Him, from Logos. And my compliment to those that have set up smart TV displays in classrooms throughout their facilities so that teachers can access them to show videos on YouTube, or access other information available on the Inter- net (such as the great maps from Manna Bible Steve Hewitt Maps!) [email protected] Christian Computing® Magazine August 2014 3 question of the month WiFi is everywhere! By Steve Hewitt iFi is everywhere! I can now access WiFi at all of my favorite fast food restaurants, at my doctor’s office, at my local Whospital, and although I don’t like to fly, some airlines are now offering WiFi for their passengers! Some of the most popular Christian apps and Bible study software apps allow users great access to features and translations IF they have WiFi. So, this month’s question is.... Do you offer WiFi at your church for your congregation and visitors? If not, why not? If you do, how, and is it popular and well used? We have a lot of responses to this month’s ques- from Logos for multimedia allowing their members tion. Most either have had WiFi for two years, or they to receive instant links to the scriptures used in the have just added it recently. There were a few that sermon. And, my blessings to those churches that didn’t have WiFi but want it soon, and there were provide WiFi throughout their church because they those that didn’t want it to be included at all. Some realize their Sunday School teachers can USE it to ac- were under the impression that a person could do cess videos they might want to show that relate to the whatever they wanted with their smart phone or table lesson they are teaching. I spoke at a church recently via 3g or 4g connection and that WiFi wasn’t really in Texas, and was delighted to know that every class needed. Unfortunately, that isn’t true. There are many room had a video display with an AppleTV and WiFi. apps, including some of the Bible study programs, Anyone teaching could access a lot of multimedia that require a WiFi connection in order to access some materials available on YouTube and easily share with of the translations. And, personally, I like to take my their class! Good job! tablet into worship and access the Bible on it, and it Enough from me, here is a sampling of what we doesn’t have a cell phone account and is dependent on heard from you! WiFi. And, I was blessed to see a few of our readers Here’s one who offered it, but has cancelled the really getting the value of WiFi. They use Proclaim offering… Christian Computing® Magazine August 2014 4 “We did make WiFi available for anyone who someone might drown. Since most of our readers asked for our password. Just this week we changed DO now provide free public WiFi at their church, the password and will no longer make it available to maybe some of our readers can offer a solution to all. We noticed our speeds slowed considerably. As help answer your concerns. we gave out the password, and people put it on their phone or tablet, every time them walked on campus And here is a sampling of the rest, from those the phone/tablet connected automatically, thus, slow- that don’t think churches should have WiFi, to ing down our connection speed. We are a smaller those that offer it, and near the end, some that told church and, at this time, do not want to spend over why they have WiFi, which might prompt some twice as much to bump up our internet speed.” readers to become more creative as well! And, here is a church asking for more information “I think we are getting a little carried away. We on how to do a better job in setting up WiFi! go to church to worship, not communicate outside of “We have WiFi available at our church through- the church. There is plenty of time for that after we out all of our buildings. Unfortunately the bandwidth leave.” is not enough for very many people to use it at the same time. I would be very interested in solutions that “I don’t have to provide Wi-Fi. Most of my would provide the ability for more simultaneous users people do not have computers and don’t want one. It at a reasonable price. What does Starbucks do? I am scares them.” looking forward to an article on possible solutions.” “We might be getting it, but I am against it due to Nick Nicholaou did a great job last summer security concerns with our network. I know there are on an article that might provide the info you safeguards to have a network for members and have need. Check it out at http://ccmag.com/2013_07/ our wireless protected on the same router, but wireless ccmag2013_07nick.pdf itself is still not as secure as wired. We have personal information in a computer here and also do online And this, from a church that is afraid of the conse- commerce, so I feel we need to protect members’ per- quences of offering public WiFi… sonal information since hackers could access it easier “In your article concerning the provision of public with WiFi. The rewards do not seem to be worth the WiFi in churches, please include a candid assess- risk.