For the past two weeks I've been engaged in a labor of love to benefit my congregation -- expanding our online presence, which up to now has been a rather basic webpage, to include a Facebook page and blog. I've also been setting up a posting schedule for the latter (pretty funny, considering the hit-or-miss posting schedule on my own blog), with theme days a la the RevGalBlogPals.
I began to get discouraged early on simply because so few people in our congregation (and this, sadly, encompasses all age ranges) know how to use a computer. But when I started getting feedback from members and friends who are online -- including someone serving in Iraq -- I knew it was worthwhile.
My goal, as de facto webmeister of these two online presences, is to keep them fresh with daily posts, even if they're only links to somewhere else. And this seems to be working in terms of how many hits our Facebook page gets per day. I have added to the blog a long list of links to places of interest (one hopes) elsewhere on the Web, and widgets ranging from the Old Lutheran Tidbit of the Day to a self-updating church calendar.
Our pastor suggested that I take interested members on an after-church virtual tour of our online properties, using the church-office computer. I think this is a swell idea, and will follow up in a couple weeks when there's more "there" there.
1 comment:
I think it is worthwhile. It will just take awhile for people to get used to looking on-line for stuff. Maybe it is actually more useful for people away from the congregation who want to look.
Don't forget to send the link to the ELCA place that posts webpages. On the main ELCA page, there is the congregation finder. It lists the basic info about each church including a link, if available.
Our church has a web page, but I'm noticing it isn't updated as it should be. But the worst has to be a church where my friend works full time. The ELCA page lists a link to a "web page" that she didn't even know existed and is at least 10 years old.
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