As your online ministry team grows and the number of volunteers that you’ll be managing balloons, what are some of your essential web and/or desktop apps that are criticial to your success?
I can imagine that they probably span these four major buckets:
- Real Time Communication (Instant Messaging, Chat, etc)
- Data Repository (Wiki, Database, Content Management, etc)
- Work, Task, Project Management
- Conferencing
What is your team using? What advice do you have?
- Basecamp to discuss creative elements, track sermon notes, etc.
- Planning Center Online for chord charts, band scheduling, stage and lighting notes, etc.
- Google Talk for IM (can't wait for Wave!)
- Eventually we'll use TokBox (once everyone gets a webcam; some of these people are *so* 2007!)
Starting to use Planning Center Online for volunteer scheduling (think past just the band), it's really amazing
Using cbox.ws for the chat element, still exploring options there. Really want a twitter enabled chat with moderation, preferably free
TweetDeck for Twitter
We use GTalk for instant communication. Although those of us on Macs use Adium and chat over just about any medium.
TwitterLocal and CoTweet for Twitter.
We use Campfire by 37Signals for our volunteer chat around our online experiences (services). We use FellowshipOne for our database, our Group/Leader communications and as a CRM for Leaders (now) and are looking at it for the individuals as well. Our teams coordinates work through 37 Signals Basecamp, and has work conversation through a private group in Friendfeed. For Online LifeGroups we are going to be using Babelwith.me (upcoming vanity urls and Dashboard interaface for the groups you admin are going to rock!). We did use UserPlane but have had significant issues recently and it seems to be headed towards the "deadpool."
We use WordPress for our blog/site which is used to both post updates and create conversation about faith, life, etc. But we also use it as a CMS for training and our volunteers.
We use Facebook for both a Leader Group environment, and the Page for our primary online community space.
Skype is our primary video conferencing/IM client because of its global presence.
Here's how it shakes down for me:
-Google Docs for sharing meeting agendas, sermon notes, etc.
-TokBox to video chat and also do weekly video updates to leadership team.
-Planning Center to, well, plan our weekly services.
-iChat and Friendfeed (closed group) for real time chat when collaboration time is needed.
Word.
I'd love to see another question answered. Before tools are selected, how do you convince a church that isn't already convinced that these kinds of tools are actually useful?
Moreover, even if you convince them, how do you get these tools to *spread* within a church that isn't really "online" already?
My pastor is *old*, as are most of our church leaders. I can't imagine talking to them about Google Docs or TokBox or Basecamp. I introduced (and paid for) Planning Center Online. I love it, but I'm the only one. I plan our contemporary services so it's vital to me, yet I can barely get others to log into it to confirm invitations, etc (and yes, we have enough volunteer musicians that a rotation is necessary).
I love seeing churches adapt these tools but I get the impression that these are churches that have younger staff who are comfortable with these sorts of tools already… outside the church environment. Is it even possible to create this sort of comfort over time?
I got 60 year olds on twitter by placing part of our prayer chain on it – they LOVED the ability to get updates to their phones w/o having to answer a call.
I also used skype to have our deacons meet with one of our regional ministry team members on the spur of the moment for some advice, they ware all impressed.
From there, it's only increased… but still not where I want it to be.
Well, honestly it is about workflows not tools. If their current workflow or habits don't match the tools then that is a losing battle. Talking about the advantages of new work habits first, and then suggest tools to facilitate, especially if you have data/proof versus personal preference, then that can go a long way.
I feel for you, my bro (or sis?). The next 5-15 years are going to be filled with some major transitional growing pains. (Especially in the Lutheran church).
>Basecamp – Project management
>PB Works Wiki – quick and dirty collaboration
>Wordpress – Team blog/site
>DevonThink – Research and info gathering
>Yammer – interoffice com stream
>Facebook Groups – Group communications and scheduling
>Google Docs – Doc sharing
>TokBox
Indeed. It's hard to be a catalyst for change in a church that's so slow to change.
It's weird though, the Lutheran church is so "progressive" (whatever that means) in some areas. Even to a fault. Some areas that they are "progressing" into are seen by many as Biblically questionable… at best. And yet, they're so far behind in other areas such as church image, aesthetics, technology adaptation. It's pretty annoying. :p
Oh, and it's bro.
Let's see:
twitter (prayers and pushed updates)
IM (real time communication)
Skype (conference calling)
Joomla (website & discussion forums)
Youtube & Vimeo (viral communication – twitter could also go here)
E-mail (the aged uncle of the intertubes)
Things in use but not leveraged much at this point:
Google apps (only the congregational calendar at this point, docs is becoming used more)
Facebook (many friends, not gathered in a group or fan-page yet)
Things I want to use with a desperate desire:
Google wave (oh man, where has THAT been all my life?)
The cell phone/twitter thing is a GREAT idea. I have been trying in vain to get our church leadership and other members to embrace Twitter. I am getting them there, but it is hard. Too many people would rather answer pointless quizzes on Facebook.
What would somebody suggest from a worship standpoint? Right now, worship team members get an email from the worship pastor with the dates we're playing, charts, links to songs on Youtube, etc.
Some kind of online place where schedules can be posted, charts uploaded, embedded youtube videos, etc. Cheap (meaning FREE) is of course the best route. I'm not sure a project management solution would work, but some kind of collaborative site that people could have access to instead of relying on emails.
Thanks
Dude. Planning Center Online. Totally. It's not free, but it's cheap enough.
This is a great title to a blog post you didn't actually write yet.
peace|dewde
yup.
Dropbox for sharing files/database-esque things
(if ProPresenter would let you specify the location of your library, Dropbox would become even more useful)
Task2Gather for task/project management
This question might fit into the second bucket (data), but I'm keen to hear what databases churches are using to manage member info. I've been writing a series of posts on my search for a church database for my own church ("Search for the ideal church database"). There don't seem to be a lot of good options out there – would love to be convinced otherwise!
As for what my church uses:
Wufoo – for forms and surveys ("Use Wufoo to encourage church members to share"
Expression Engine – for website cms
Twitter – @cbtbkirribilli
Stafftool – current member database
Love Dropbox. Keep trying to make task2gather work for me, but I keep ending back at gmail tasks (as lame as it is) and a todo label in gmail.