ChurchIT – Supporting ministry with IT

Stuff Christians Like
Stuff Christians like is what blogging is meant to be. Some of the posts are laugh out loud funny (a good way to start conversations in the office I suppose) but others are more challenging. A common post is a questionnaire with points to score, such as you might find in a magazine.

For example, one attempts to solve the problem of two apparently contradictory statements in the Bible. Passages from the Old Testament score 1 point, New Testament 2 points, something Jesus actually said 3 points. Another offers advice on what people think about your prayers (5. Your wife or husband give you the “wrap it up” tap during your prayer = minus 2 points).

Collide Magazine
Collide is a good place to look if you are interested in using computers and technology in or around church. Sadly there is no print magazine in the UK but you can subscribe to the blog that includes regular round ups of internet news and videos.

LifeHacker
This isn’t a Christian website, but is still worth a mention. Lifehacker is a blog with advice on getting the most from your computer and the internet. The tips cover everything from new ways to use software such as Office, free stuff on line and new software that you might not have heard of before.

Magnatune
Magnatune.com is an online music shop that proudly announces “We are not evil”. They certainly don’t look that way from the customer’s point of view. You can listen to the music on the site and then choose exactly how much to spend on albums from £3 to £10. Delivery is by download only but CD quality versions are available at no extra cost. The range is somewhat eclectic but is worth the search as there are some real gems. I can strongly recommend the American Bach Soloists, or Drop Trio, if your tastes include jazz.

Internet Evangelism Day
Held on the 26 April every year, this day aims to get us talking about our faith online, be it on social networking sites like Facebook, or by giving local websites a brush up. There is a monthly newsletter that is full of interesting links and stories, some spiritual and others of a more technical bias. If you are thinking about reviewing your church website, there is a very useful questionaire and checklist.

First published on The Sheep Dip,  a Christian-run website offering quality material for church newsletter and magazine editors to use for a small fee.