7 Mistakes Churches Make When Building a Website

In my design blog, I discuss 7 common mistakes I've encountered when churches design their websites. The problems center around handling content and site maintenance. I believe this is so because churches often lack the man-power, vision, or expertise to pull it off properly. However, churches that do this well tend to have a staff of designers and content providers, or simply out-source the design.

Hopefully my blog post can help those churches that can't afford to hire a design firm or staff. But there is value even for those that can afford to do this, because it sheds some light on considerations to make when building a website in general.

Let me know your opinion.

7 Mistakes Churches Make When Building a Website

Why So Long?

Why was it a month since my last post? Let's put it this way. My internet connection had been down for a week and a half, I decided to change service providers, and school started. Need I say more?

Obama the Messiah?

Not much Farrakhan says surprises me. It doesn't necessarily impugn Obama. But—like any cult—it is worth watching out for developments.

Are We Better Now?

I was driving to work on the beltway going south. I was running slightly late, and the traffic wasn't helping. I remember the day was sunny around 70 degrees; blue sky, no clouds.

I turned the radio on to listen to music. But on every station the news was on. I figured something must be up, so I listened. Apparently there was a fire near the top of one of the World Trade Center towers in New York.

My mind was swirling. "Hmmm. That can't be good. It's high up there. I wonder how firefighters will try to deal with this? I wonder if my cousin is okay? He works there, I think. They said something about a plane hitting it by accident or something. Was it a Cessna or small jet?"

I finally arrived at work. The office I share was open and nobody was around. I noticed my co-worker's computer had a web page up about the World Trade Center incident. I remember thinking, "This is bigger than how I was thinking it was." I walked down the hall, and almost all my co-workers where gathered in one office watching the news on television.

Then came the report that another plane just hit the Pentagon. "What's going on?," we were all thinking. It wasn't until another plane hit the other World Trade Center tower that we knew for sure that we were under attack.

I went from bewilderment to anger. "What are we going to do about this? Someone has raged war against us by killing civilians on purpose!" Then I saw people falling from the towers to their death. Then the grim collapse of both World Trade Center buildings. There was a collective gasp from all my co-workers when this happened.

We knew we witnessed the end. The end of what, we weren't sure at that moment. But it was the end of life as usual. Our world had changed. Our nation had changed. Our perspective had changed. However, I am not sure we've changed for the better. I am not sure we picked up the right lessons from this. I am not sure we have the will to remember the way we should.

Today is the 7th anniversary of an unprecedented direct attack on the United States of America. We survived. But are we better for it?

Atlanta Trip Addition

Oh, I almost forgot the wonderful place where we had lunch. It is called J. Christopher's. The Turners took us to a great family restaurant before we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. historic site, that specializes in breakfast foods and lunch. What makes it really great is the play area for kids, the artistic decor, and the large table we sat at. It was truly a wonderful experience.

My Thoughts on Atlanta, Georgia

My family and I just got back from a wonderful vacation in Atlanta, Georgia. We visited the Martin Luther King Jr. historic site, went to the High Museum of Art (including the Louvre-Atlanta exhibit) which had a civil rights exhibition going on, and spent time at a National Black Arts Festival (celebrating their 20th anniversary) that was outside next door to the High Museum. We visited friends and enjoyed great food and entertainment, along with our dear friends. My kids also loved Atlanta.

Going on a trip like this was refreshing. But it taught me something. We really need to do this more often. It really helps with perspective. And I just need it. I get charged when I go to museums of art, or visit awe-inspiring natural environments, or get challenged by history up close. I sense the presence of God at these places and I naturally worship.

Upon getting back, we were thankful for the trip and getting back safely. We prayed as a family in thankfulness to God, and we prayed for our friends. Meeting with the church is its own glory. But doing this also has a glory to it.

People-Pleasing Addiction

I was listening to the radio this morning. I heard a great discussion on the Family Life Today program. They were discussing the problem, and sin, of being a people-pleaser. The author, Lou Priolo, of the book, Pleasing People, said that people-pleasing is akin to idolatry. He made some excellent points in how to differentiate a people-pleaser from a God-pleaser. It's worth a listen.

Also, while you're at it, take the people-pleasing inventory questionnaire. I found it all very fascinating. I think I might have to get his book. It will be an excellent follow-up to Hugh Hewitt's 1999 book, The Embarrassed Believer—which I found it prophetic, since it was written before 9/11 and it discussed the erosion of faith in the public square.

If you feel like sharing, how did you score? I scored a 71, which surprised me. According to his scale, I am a people-pleaser. I never thought of myself that way.

When is it Hate? II

Previously, I discussed the incident at George Washington University. Turns out that the president of George Washington University has decided to do nothing about the racial incident because it was a liberal group that posted the "hate" messages. I guess that proves my point. It is only considered "hate" when it comes from certain people. It has little do with it's effects or damage caused. It has to do with marking certain individual's as undesirable or worthy of "hate." This is called discrimination.
 

Martyrdom in the Church of Christ

According to the Voice of the Martyrs organization—a group dedicated to helping the persecuted church and keeping the Christian community at large informed—two pastors were executed on July 5th in a Colombia village of El Dorado. They were killed by a group of guerrillas (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) for preaching about Jesus. It is considered "illegal" to do this in this area.

One of the brothers worked with the Presbyterian Church (Humberto Mendez Montoya), and was a missionary there for about three years. The other was a brother from the Church of Christ (Joel Cruz Garcia) who was working to start a church there.

Apparently, more than 300 pastors over the past five years have been martyred and many others were kidnapped. Let's keep the pastor's families in prayer, for these problems have largely been kept silent. According to an interview in the Colombian newspaper HOY, "These homicides of Christians…unfortunately have fallen on deaf ears."

The wives of the two brothers are currently in jeopardy. Please pray for them especially.

Interesting History Lesson

I remember these Schoolhouse Rock musical cartoons. This one is does a decent job at explaining a little history about how our country came to be.

Latest News

Last time I wanted to let those who read this blog know that I have been delayed in writing because of the death of my mom (71 years old). Well, a week after my mother's funeral, my mother-in-law (64 years old) suddenly died, as well as my uncle (my father's brother).

We are very saddened at this time, but coping. We probably won't feel the full weight of the losses until we finish with all the funeral and estate planning. The start of this year has definitely set the tone for the rest of it. It will be the year of adjustments. Everything is new and will be a growth experience.

Current Events

I've been negligent about updating my blog. Recently, my mother has gotten very sick, and she passed away. Please be patient with me. I'll get back to blogging very soon.

The Truth About Parenthood

Now that we've had the opportunity to socially experiment with artificial insemination, we've got a good crop of human products to examine. And these "products" are speaking out.

When she was 32, my mother -- single, and worried that she might never marry and have a family -- allowed a doctor wearing rubber gloves to inject a syringe of sperm from an unknown man into her uterus so that she could have a baby. I am the result: a donor-conceived child.

And for a while, I was pretty angry about it.

I was angry at the idea that where donor conception is concerned, everyone focuses on the "parents" -- the adults who can make choices about their own lives. The recipient gets sympathy for wanting to have a child. The donor gets a guarantee of anonymity and absolution from any responsibility for the offspring of his "donation." As long as these adults are happy, then donor conception is a success, right?

Not so. The children born of these transactions are people, too. Those of us in the first documented generation of donor babies -- conceived in the late 1980s and early '90s, when sperm banks became more common and donor insemination began to flourish -- are coming of age, and we have something to say. (view article)

Our brave new world always has consequences. We may not see the consequences right away, but they will show up eventually. I wonder what the consequences will be realized from our holocaust called abortion?

Hearts and Minds is a Very Good Book

I've just finished ready a very good book. It is called Hearts and Minds. I highly recommend this book, whether you are a parent or not.

The book really captures the essence and challenges of passing on a Christian worldview to our children as parents. But this book goes well beyond a typical parenting book. It really challenges me to be aware of my practice and definition of a Christian worldview, as well as acting as an examination of my worldview in relationship with my children.

This book is excellent.

Toys of Trouble

Who would have thought that "Jesus" was too offensive a word for Christmas?

Although I generally think that Toys for Tots is a good program, I think this attitude is going too far. They have rejected a 4000 toy donation of toys, because the speaking toys mention Bible verses. I know they are a secular organization, and I don't expect them to want to promote Christianity, but these are Christmas gifts for needy kids! If some parents don't want their kids exposed to Christ in Christmas, they can reject the toys. (A rare few would do so, I suspect.) But as an organization, don't reject these toys for these people.

It is as if the organization is deciding for the needy what they would be offended by, and thus treating the needy as stupid, and dependent. (I guess that is really how some people think of them.) It is admirable that this organization is willing to gather toys for kids who won't normally get them at Christmas time, but it is Christmas!

Not every organization apparently gets it though. So, it goes to show you that Christian's really need to be more intentional when giving to any organization to help the needy. In other words, let's consider what we intend to accomplish with our donation or help. What manner and group do we wish to support that fits more in line with our worldview? Why give from a temporal perspective, when we can give from an eternal perspective? Why give to help promote happiness in this life, when we can give to help promote what saves both body and soul for eternity?

I am not saying, "Let's just tell people about the gospel of Christ and forget about physical needs." But I am saying that whatever we do, whether it is world missions, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, or taking care of orphans and widows, we do so with the intent on glorifying Christ — not ourselves or temporal organizations.

New Site Design

For those of you who have been reading my blog, my site has a new design. I am experimenting with this new Google Blogger Beta. So far I really like it. It is far superior, even in beta, than the last version. I plan to blog more frequently.

Posting Problems

Sorry to the few of you who happen to read this blog. In the past few weeks, I have had problems posting messages. There have been some minor technical problems, but most of the problems exist in my topsy-turvy world. There are so many changes going on in my personal life, that I can't get a handle on what I want to say. This is not because I don't have anything to say. I have too much to say. There is so much going on, personally, and globally that I want to talk about. I will try my best to get to all these things, and post more often.

Thanks to those of you who have been giving me support.