Christian Web Resources

Fanny Crosby is most notable for being the blind woman who wrote over 8,000 hymns. That’s right—8,000. Crosby was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1975. She’s been described as the ‘mother of modern congregational singing,’ which leads us to wonder what modern worship services would look like without her.Her style of hymn writing was considered overly simplistic for some, but ultimately that simplicity is what led to their popularity. Overly repetitive at times or too ...

We’ve got a few new resources added to the Church Marketing Directory:Sunday Magazine – A magazine about the creative process of Sunday mornings. It’s about the philosophy of creativity in our church services.Ministry Ops – Lets you create beautiful sites for media content. Upload one file and it’s converted for web streaming, podcasting, mobile (iOS, Android) and HD.Signs Plus – Signs Plus is a church sign manufacturer offering custom changeable copy signs, LED church signs and s...

This is part five in our Copy Matters series.A few years ago, I had a position at a church where I was in charge of communications. As the church grew, I personally emailed about a hundred people each week. Most of these emails contained a request for an investment of time, so getting a “yes” was extremely important.The people you communicate with have overflowing inboxes (when they even look at it), and your definition of “important” is not necessarily the same as theirs. So how will...

Ken Blanchard once said that “feedback is the breakfast of champions.” If that is true, we have many champions in the making over in the Church Marketing Lab.Pastor Tanner is getting some good input on church branding:Lab member, cshehee has sparked a discussion on typeography:What are your thoughts on the “League Gothic” font?Alignment is the topic of discussion on John Papp’s post:You’re invited to head over to the Lab and add your voice to the discussion!

This is part three in our Copy Matters series.It can be hard to write when you don’t know what you’re writing. But sometimes that happens when you need a blurb for the bulletin right now and suddenly copy is flowing. Or someone else offered to make your job easier and write the copy for you, but they just wrote what they thought and didn’t answer the important questions.Before anyone sits down to write they have to answer some vital questions. Here are a few:What’s the Purpose?What’...

Last month we highlighted a few of the Easter artwork pieces that were posted in the Church Marketing Lab. This month we continue that theme as we see lots of Easter postings.Evan Courtney posted a design with a fun, celebrative and colorful feel.Alisha Ethridge’s post also uses bright colors and adds some flourishes for a unique design.Seth Sampson is going for a more elegant look with his key art design.We are also seeing some post-Easter artwork come in.David Raney has posted a draft des...

We’re launching a new series on copy. What’s copy? Any written communication, whether it’s text in a newsletter, words on a banner, a blog post from your pastor or signage on the wall. It’s all copy.We’ll cover the ins and outs of writing and editing copy, from how to write good copy, to writing for different mediums to style guides and proofreading. Because in the end, copy matters. Why does it matter? That’s a good place to start…Why Should I Care About Copy?In the beginning w...

This is part two in our Copy Matters series.One simple way to make your copy more engaging is to write about benefits, not features. Readers want to know what’s in it for themselves, not what’s in it for you. So write for them, not for you.Features are all about you. It’s the checklist of whatever you have to offer. Certainly you care about it, but it doesn’t mean anybody else does. Features are how many services you offer and the incredible music and the coffee hour. But most people ...

Catalyst is headed to Dallas and the Center for Church Communication (our nonprofit parent) has a sweet deal for anyone who wants to attend. If you’re near Dallas don’t miss this great event happening May 9-11. Save $110 using discount code CFCC when you register through March 16.Catalyst is a one-of-a-kind experience that is high energy and focused on delivering some of the best content available to help leaders grow. The theme for this year’s gathering in Dallas is “Be Present,” a...

Are you looking for a job in church communications? The CFCC Job Board has some listings that you might be interested in. Here are a few of the recent listings to the board:Constance Free Church is looking for a communication specialist.Hosanna Church is looking for a web administrator.Potential Church is looking for a lead designer and a web designer.Is your church looking for a communications professional? Be sure to get your free listing on the Job Board!