Full Gospel Conference Web Site
Just stumbled upon a new Web site for the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship 2011 International Conference.
Looks like it’s been up for about a month. I just saw a link to some components of it in an e-mail that I received as an attendee from previous years.
Having interacted with several Twitter followers during last year’s conference in Atlanta and posted here about my experience at the 2010 conference, I am excited to see this change.
It’s about time.
As we learned at the ChurchMediaU gathering back in March, the Church (big “C” ) has to utilize 21st century methods of reaching a 21st century generation.
Though many (perhaps most) churches don’t have them, static Web sites with a picture of your church, your pastor, and your service times are really an old strategy. That’s so 2000!
It’s 2011. Now, that Web site has to change, pop and connect with social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YES, YouTube!
At my church, Cornerstone Full Gospel Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala. we’ve had a YouTube Channel since 2008 and it’s still the most effective means of outreach beyond our congregation.
Over the last almost three years, we’ve learned what types of videos are most likely to be of interest to that Web audience, and which ones are NOT likely to go over well.
Facebook would be next most effective. But, I think it’s primarily effective within our congregation, which dominates the friends and fans on our page.
FULL DISCLOSURE
I was NOT the biggest supporter of a church Facebook Group when it was initially proposed.
Thankfully, some of my fellow technology enthusiasts didn’t wait for me to give it my blessing.
Now, we’re using it to post sermon points and to communicate BREAKING NEWS such as the cancellation of a tornado benefit concert last Friday.
In the aftermath of the April 27th, the Facebook group has been an effective way to make calls for members’ to assist with our massive, multi-faceted effort to help those whose homes were damaged.
OLD HABITS DIE HARD
As we look to upgrade our own Web site in the next few months, some of the strategies of the Full Gospel Conference Web site are worthy of closer examination— a blog, Twitter Account, RSS Feed (though, some have questioned whether this is quite as important as it used to be)
Still it looks like Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship may be “soft-launching” the new Web site as I saw materials for the 2011 conference on its old site as well.
There is a strong argument for having a microsite that is event-driven and is separate from your home page and Web site that is more associated with the organization and its structure and less about an event.
Tags: Church Media, Church Media U, Church Social Media, Full Gospel Baptist, Full Gospel Conference 2011
