Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin has been around a long time, and I have subscribed to his Progressive Christianity newsletter for years, but I’ve only recently come to appreciate how insightful and inspiring he is. If you are in any way responsible for church growth, you may want to read this…
Editor’s note: The following post by the Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin (“the Rev they warned you about”) first appeared in his blog, Southern Fried Heresy, and is published here with his permission. His bio appears at the end of this post.
The Book of First Opinions
(Probably Not Written by Paul)
Whether you’re maintaining your church’s website or providing content for someone else who does, here are some best practices to follow.
Never use flyers created for bulletins, bulletin boards or slides
Why this is important: Probably half the visitors to your website are using mobile phones to look at it. By the time a slide or flyer is reduced to size for mobile display, the text is impossible to read. So you’re not communicating at that point; you’re only frustrating people who are interested in what’s going on in your church.
A church’s presence online isn’t just an afterthought—it’s an extension of its ministry. For many people, the first encounter with a ministry happens not in a sanctuary, but on a website, social media page, or email inbox. Butt too often these channels are treated as secondary, more about appearances than genuine connection.
Imagine someone searching for guidance late at night. They stumble across your website, hoping for encouragement, understanding, or a sense of community. What if that first digital interaction could feel like stepping into a warm, welcoming space?
Many churches faced with a shrinking budgets and attendance have been happy to find free options for official church email. Gmail, offered by Google, is one popular choice. No-cost options also are offered by Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL and Outlook. While these email services are free to use, there are hidden…
Although the day you can resume in-person Sunday services may be weeks away, you’re likely already thinking about that day — and how to prepare for it. Just in case you haven’t already thought of everything, here are some important issues to consider: What if the size of gatherings is…
Closed churches. Empty collection plates. Defiant (and arrested) church leaders. Death threats. Dead pastors and congregants. Who could have imagined any of it? And yet, that’s the news that has filled our inbox in the past six weeks. Here is a roundup of stories about the way the pandemic caused…
Here’s a collection of videos creating during live streaming of church services on March 22. While a few churches have plenty of experience and equipment for broadcasting on Facebook or YouTube (or both), many were streaming for the first time. Whether you’re interested in what others are doing or you’re…
March 16 — The Centers for Disease Control, in efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, recently recommended that large gatherings be canceled and that people age 60 and over avoid such gatherings — even services in churches. While some churches offered services as usual yesterday, many provided online-only…
If your church is scrambling to set up live streaming because you’re not holding your usual Sunday services, here is the good news: Through videos, blog posts and offers of one-on-one help, people who have experience in live streaming church services offer pointers for getting started with live streaming. Steve…
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