When it comes to ministry most individuals, churches or ministries are looking for a ministry tool or strategy to help solve a need.  If you create a tool and strategy that really isn’t needed then it won’t get used.

Once I was part of a team that created  a CD-Rom that was complex, but very postmodern.  The project took a very long time to complete, but it got done.  We created a website and had broad distribution.  In the end only a handful people used it, because it didn’t really meet a need and it was hard to use.  So, first identify the need.   A good way to identify a need is to listen and ask others.

Once you have the need identified, bring people together to pray and brainstorm ideas.  There are a ton of resources on brainstorming. I personally like using the Walt Disney Imagineering process for brainstorming.   This is where you put ideas on sticky notes or note cards.  Then group the ideas together that are similar.  Then you “plus up” the ideas.  This is expanding the original idea presented by writing more details on another sticky note or note card and placing it under the idea.  Once you complete that process you are able to determine which is the best idea.

The next step once you have an idea is to prototype it.  That will be covered next.

I will cover developing the idea, creating the ministry tool, testing it and promoting the ministry tool or strategy.  Are there any other areas or questions you may have that you would like covered?

1. Film Festival- show films that depict the story of Jesus- His life, death and resurrection.  You can find a listing of films about Jesus from the Bible Film Blog.

2. Art Exhibit- have local artists or artists in your church draw or paint pieces about Jesus’ life death and resurrection.  Have an exhibit where the community can come and view the artwork and interact with the artist to hear their “story”.

3. Music concert- select musical selections and Bible readings that touch on the life, death and ressurection of Jesus.

4. Backyard Easter Bash- Using the colorful eggs found in Resurrection Eggs host an egg hunt for the children in your community or church.

5. Easter Experience- A new DVD-driven group study that uses narrative drama and challenging teaching.  To find out more check out the Easter Experience website.

1.  Downloadable Bibles and books
2.  Video clips and mini-presentations
3.  Text messaging
4.  Wallpaper (screen backgrounds)
5.  Games, ringtones, wallpapers
6.  Web Access
7.  In developing nations

As a result, I found that there was interest in the topic so I created a new blog which I have linked to it from the Squidoo lens.  This has been a good source of new visitors to the Church Video Reviews blog.  So, if you are thinking of creating a new website, blog, business or product consider using a website like Squidoo to do testing.

“Does your church’s website communicate to outsiders as well as to the members?” asks a new web resource. A church site is the congregation’s ‘shop window’ to its community. To fulfill this function well, it must be enticing, people-centered and easily understood by outsiders. Unfortunately, many churches are unsure how to achieve this vital mix.

So the Internet Evangelism Day team has launched an online self-assessment tool. It leads a church through a series of key questions, to highlight areas of their website which may need development:
InternetEvangelismDay.com/design

“I think it will be very helpful to churches,” comments Gene Anderson of Resurrection Lutheran Church, California.

A church site which has been prioritized for non-Christian visitors can be remarkably effective in reaching the community. “Week in, week out, more visitors turn up at our church on a Sunday because of the website, than anything else,” writes one growing church in London UK that uses these principles.

The Internet Evangelism Day (‘IE Day’) website also explains other types of online evangelism, such as outreach sites, video clips, blogging and podcasts. There is even a free ‘conversation starter’ screen-saver to download.

April Church Focus Day to Increase Awareness
The IE Day team also encourages churches and other groups around the world to hold their own ‘web awareness focus day’ on (or near) 29 April 2007. The IE Day site provides downloadable video clips, drama sketches, posters, handouts and a PowerPoint presentation, making it easy for any church to create its own IE Day program. This can as brief as a 2-minute spot within a worship time, or an entire themed church service, seminar, or midweek meeting.

Churches that have already held their own focus day are enthusiastic. “It was a real eye-opener for many,” writes one in Muncie, Indiana. “We held a midweek evening presentation of 90 minutes, for other local churches,” says another from Dawlish UK.

A Canadian church leader comments, “I used a 10-minute presentation that focused on how anyone can get involved in reaching out to the Internet community. I also added a section on using our church website as an evangelism tool, as some of our members have already had great success with it.”

One surprising aspect that the IE Day team emphasize: web evangelism is for anyone, not just the technically gifted. “There are many ways to share your faith online, without any technical background at all,” says IE Day Coordinator Tony Whittaker.

IE Day is supported by a wide range of Christian leaders. “I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day,” says John Stott.

Internet Evangelism Day is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition, an umbrella group of major interdenominational Christian groups involved in Web ministry, based at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton. IE Days purpose is to explain to the worldwide church the potential of the Web for effective proclamation of the Christian Good News by:
- a detailed resource website: InternetEvangelismDay.com
- encouraging churches and other groups to hold an annual web awareness focus day

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Tony Whittaker is co-ordinator of Internet Evangelism Day and editor of the Web Evangelism Bulletin email newsletter. He is available to consult on any issue relating to online evangelism.

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1. Relevant Magazine
2. The Barna Group
3. Illuminate Resources
4. Relevant Network

This is just a start. If you know of any great resources please share it as a comment.