Syrup City Preacher/Webservant

[JackWolfgang]

Note by Wolfgang: This information is severely outdated and no longer accurate.

My name is Jack Wolfgang, and I am the preaching minister (err...senior minister....errr...only minister) at First Christian Church of Cairo, a small non-denominational church in the Southwestern Corner (as the NBC affiliate in Albany calls is) of Georgia.

I found the site from the link on the e-vangelism.com (http://www.e-vangelism.com/) site. I am currently working on our church's web site, but progress is slow.

[David Gillaspey]

Hi Jack,

Thanks for joining the E-Ministry Forum!

You wrote

<< I am currently working on our church's web site, but progress is slow. >>

Would you mind elaborating on that? What obstacles are hindering the development of the website? Lack of time (on your part or on the part of others in a team)? Lack of money? Lack of talent/skills within the church? Perhaps there are other obstacles. I'd be curious to know.

David Gillaspey
President
Great Church Websites

[JackWolfgang]

You wrote

<< I am currently working on our church's web site, but progress is slow. >>

Would you mind elaborating on that? What obstacles are hindering the development of the website? Lack of time (on your part or on the part of others in a team)? Lack of money? Lack of talent/skills within the church? Perhaps there are other obstacles. I'd be curious to know.

Lack of time on my part, mainly. I am the only one on the website team. The church is an older church, and while some of the church members use computers, I'm 99% certain none of them know how to write/build/design web sites.

Ergo, it's my job.

[David Gillaspey]

Hi Jack,

<< Lack of time on my part, mainly. I am the only one on the website team. >>

How do you feel about going the CMS (content management system) route? There's a number of companies specializing in this. (I list them on my <a href = "http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/content_management.php" target = "_blank">site</a>.) Part of the concept is pre-designed templates.

Even after a church gets a website up and running, there's the inevitable problem of keeping the content current. That's what makes a CMS solution so valuable.

I myself have volunteered to do a website for a church planting pastor in west Africa, so I'll be using the open-source CMS solution Mambo -- can't afford a proprietary CMS solution.

Sincerely,

David Gillaspey
President
Great Church Websites

[JackWolfgang]

How do you feel about going the CMS (content management system) route? There's a number of companies specializing in this. (I list them on my <a href = "http://www.greatchurchwebsites.org/content_management.php" target = "_blank">site</a>.) Part of the concept is pre-designed templates.

It might work, but I'd have to get my people interested in doing it. I have one lady that I think would put some time into it.

I'm going to do the news section as a blog, and I may see if she wants to help with that.

My wife might also put some time into it.

With a CMS, I think editing and review is critical. The church sends out far too much with typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors.