Around lunchtime on Monday, October 4, I began to receive notifications about Facebook-owned platforms being offline. Soon many other companies' services came to a screeching halt because of the cascading effect that one significant outage had on the way all data...
Some of the things that make a website more engaging are photos, videos, podcasts and sermons. These media files can quickly take up a lot of data storage space if you add them directly to your site, which can slow it down. We recommend that partners who plan to...
Ever wonder why it is so important that your ministry manages its own domain? Is there a difference between a website and a domain? Dot org or dot com or dot net? During this class Worship Times founder and president Michael Gyura goes over the all the ins and outs of...
It's been a long pandemic and your online archive of worship videos is probably getting a little unruly. In this webmaster class, we are going to show you how to use the Worship Times Publications tool to get your videos sorted and easy to manage. You can watch all of...
There are a lot of acronyms in the world of ministry, and quite a few in the tech world as well. SEO is one acronym that everyone needs to know. Search Engine Optimization. In this webmaster class, we are going to go over the basics of SEO and how to start to apply...
The end of the calendar year brings with it many celebrations, decorations, and traditions. But, in the year 2020, how do we celebrate while staying safe and socially distant? This year has brought us so many challenges as ministries and we have adapted at ever step....
We've all heard the phrase, 'a picture is worth a thousand words.' And it really can be. But, did you know a picture can also build community? and help spread your ministry? Instagram is a social media platform based on the 'thousand words' principle. Learn how to...
Entering the world of paid promotions can be incredibly intimidating. No one wants to waste money on advertising to someone across the country. In this 15 Minute Webmaster Class, Andrew Yeager-Buckley is going to take you through the setup to promote your event only...
There are so many things you can accomplish using Gravity Forms. In this 15 Minute Webmaster Class, we are going to walk through how to use the Payment Fields in an online form. Regardless of which payment processor you use, you must use the payment fields to make it...
We are halfway through October, and truly, Advent is just around the corner. Join us for this 15 Minute Webmaster Class to learn how to feature all of your Advent Events (both in-person and online) using event categories. This simple trick will streamline your holiday...
Last week's Thursday Webmaster Class covered how to stream to Facebook Live from Zoom. This can be a useful way to share your worship services or events to a wider audience. Now that you are an expert at Zooming to Facebook Live, here is an extra tidbit from Andrew...
Still working out how to best utilize both Zoom and Facebook Live for your live-stream worship services and events? Check out this 15 Minute Webmaster Class for step-by-step instructions on how to play your Zoom feed over Facebook Live. You can watch all of our...
UPDATE 10/8: Facebook has restored the event descriptions in all platforms. Continue to use Facebook Events as you were. (Or let us know if you have any questions.) If you are using Facebook Events, this update affects you. Over the weekend, Facebook updated their...
Most all of us are using an email platform to send out mass communications to our communities. By creating a saved template, you will never have to reset the color or size on a text block again. It will all be saved, ready and waiting for you. This Webmaster Class...
We've been worshipping online for months. It's time to step up your prayer game with online prayer request forms. Whether you choose to use forms to enhance your live-streamed service experience or automate requests to your prayer team. Join founder Michael Gyura as...
Now that we've been online worshipping for a while and have that well under our belts, what does outreach look like? If everything is online, how do you invite someone to a service or to bible study? It might be easier than you think. This Webmaster Class covers...
We've all been doing online digital worship services for months now, and sometimes it still feels like a struggle. But what can you do to improve the digital worship experience for your congregation? Sometimes it is the behind the scenes planning that can make the...
There are so many bits and pieces to digital ministry, marketing, and communication. Because no one person can know it all, Worship Times has created the free 15 Minute Webmaster Class. These classes are designed to equip you with the knowledge you need to become a...
#Hashtags. What was once commonly called the pound sign, has been taken over by coders and the social media world. And you need to use them. In this Webmaster Class, you will learn why it's so important to use hashtags in your social media posts and how to use them....
You never want your people to miss out. It is so tempting to add every single event, notice, and volunteer opportunity to your weekly email, but the data says don't do it. Overloading a single email with all of the things, won't increase attendance or online...
Have you ever googled your church and thought, "That's not quite right." Maybe there are strange photos, the website is non-existent or just wrong, no hours of operation, or maybe your church doesn't show up as a business or on google maps at all. Learn how to start...
Many churches proudly display a blog of their preachers' Sunday sermon on their website to share the joy of the Word. While we recommend having printed copies of the sermon available for people with hearing loss during worship, posting the text verbatim is not the...
Gravity Forms is one of the most commonly used online form platforms out there and the one we use on the Worship Times Network. Come learn some of the amazing ways this tool can be used for your ministry. In this short 15 Minute Webmaster Class taught by our founder,...
We live in a fast-paced, online, digital world. Gone are the days of effective advertising with the yellow pages and flyer mailers. If you are not online, you may as well not exist. So, why should your church, with its limited budget, pay for a website instead of use...
Covid-19 has changed everything in our lives. The Volunteer Roles you need to fill for your ministry to operate safely and within your local jurisdictions guidelines have also changed. Your ministry has always depended on the goodwill of volunteers. Depending on your...
It’s been over 100 days, and the world is still uncertain. Some states and counties are open, free and easy, others have mask requirements to be in public, still others recommend staying home. Everyone is in a different place of leaving quarantine, and there are even...
The only thing worse than throwing up at summer camp, is throwing up at home while you watch virtual summer camp. No one wants to give their campers motion sickness while watching virtual summer camp videos. Here are 5 simple rules to make great videos for your...
For many people, learning new technology is like learning a new language, with an entirely different alphabet. While kids have a tendency to pick up new programs and applications easily, their parents might have a harder time. Make it as easy as possible for your...
We all know that sinking feeling. After all of the preparations and test-runs, you are going live... and something fails. It could be Zoom, wifi, internet, router, computer, or Mercury in retrograde, but your well laid plans have crumbled. Do you have a back-up plan...
Last week, Worship Times and PCCCA announced a unique partnership. Together, they offer an opportunity to bring the summer camp experience online and into homes across the country through a Virtual Camp Portal. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, many camps and...
For Immediate Release Name of Press Contact: Michael Gyura Date: Friday, May 22, 2020 Phone: 877-464-0535 Email: [email protected] Worship Times and PCCCA Announce Online Summer Camp Portal Many Summer Camps will not open this summer season due to...
Quarantine has been an interesting and life-changing experience for all of us. Much like a journey, the people who went into quarantine are not the same as those who will come out. Our society, our communities, and our churches will be forever changed. However,...
Summer is coming and it is time to plan for Vacation Bible School. Unfortunately, Vacation Bible School in full quarantine may be your only option. However, every state and local government is handling Covid-19 differently. You may be in a state that has started...
Communities across the country are teetering on the edge of fear and uncertainty. From food insecurity, to economic depression, to coming out of quarantine too quickly, people are scared and unsure. How will you lead your church to support your broader community as we...
With a little creativity, and low-fi technology solutions, you can reach your technology averse and bandwidth starved congregants. There are a variety of reasons that live-streaming your worship service just isn’t going to work. You may live in an area where hi-speed...
The financial effects of Coronavirus on your ministry are probably sinking in. Not as many people are able to give their offerings. Payroll for your staff may be getting tight. As a small business, we understand the implications all too well. To that end, we wanted to...
You have made it through Easter. The joy of the Risen Lord is present. Hopefully, you feel like your feet are beneath you, even if it's taken a few weeks to find your footing. As we transition for socially-distanced ministry, our online presence needs to step up....
So, the world has changed. Stay home, stay safe is our new mantra. But, what do you do about your upcoming events? No one wants to cancel the chili cook off or the annual clean up the park event, but what do you do? How can your church continue with its event planning...
Did you miss the Webinar: Optimize Your Homepage for Covid-19 Isolation? Never fear! We have the instant replay for you right here. There was a great turnout with amazing questions from everyone in attendance. Your ministry’s homepage has become an even more vital...
Online Giving has become an extremely important component for the life of your congregation during this time of social distancing. Making it as simple as possible for parishioners to continue to give tithes and offerings is essential. You can now easily add a Tithely...
Online Giving has become an extremely important component for the life of your congregation during this time of social distancing. Making it as easy as possible for parishioners to continue to give tithes and offerings is essential. You can now easily add a Vanco...
Zoom is a cutting edge meeting and webinar tool that may help your congregation move into virtual worship services and meetings with ease. Worship Times created an integration that allows you to embed your Zoom meeting, webinar, or live feed on your website. When you...
If you are among the many American churches who have been thrust into virtual community due to Coronavirus (Covid-19), you might be wondering about the legality of Live Streaming worship music. You are not alone. Please know that we are not lawyers, and it is always...
Ustream is another great option to live stream your worship service, daily prayers, or virtual events. Whether you use the classic WordPress editor, the new Gutenberg editor, or the Divi Builder, you can take advantage of this functionality. Learn how to embed your...
If you are looking to use YouTube to live stream your worship service or event, you are in the right place. The following video tutorial takes you step-by-step through the set up process. You can also use these same steps to share previously created YouTube content on...
Have you been looking for a way to live-stream your worship services or events on your website? Worship Times has developed one new solution for our members. For those on our newer networks, you can now easily embed Facebook Live to stream on your website. Worship...
Journey to the Cross, the devotional series for Lent, returns to d365.org starting Ash Wednesday, February 26th and ending on Sunday, April 19th. d365 provides daily devotions written especially for youth and young adults. You can access the devotions online at...
Take a moment and imagine all of the different people that visit your ministry’s website each day. Now think about the number of people who visit your website every week. What about every month? That figure can grow quite large, very quickly. Now, take away your...
We're Hiring! Interested in working with an amazing crew who will appreciate you? Love working with people? Love turning ideas into action? Look no further, we may have a place for you. Bonus points are being given to anyone with Worship Times experience. Posting:...
Working with a company to build a new website can be an intimidating process for those who have never paid to have a website built before. Today we want to work to ease the fear of the unknown when it comes to building a new website! Let us give you an idea of what to...
As we begin to close out the summer months and prepare for the upcoming fall season, there could not be a better time to do a quick check-in on your ministry’s website. With children heading back to school and families getting back into a regular routine it is...
Just how important are online reviews today? More than you might think. 90% of consumers read online reviews before they visit a business or make a purchase. Even more mind-blowing, 88% of consumers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations....
There are a handful of items that can make or break any website. An easy to use, robust search feature - or lack thereof - is one of a select few things that can make a great website terrible. Take a look at your current website. Does it have a search feature on...
Summer is in full swing right now, with plenty of people skipping services every Wednesday and Sunday to hit the beach, spend time with their family, and unplug from the hectic daily schedule so many Americans endure year-round. It’s a time for joyousness, relaxation,...
A common occurrence that we see when reviewing and updating websites is the use of “click here” in a link inside of a block of text or displayed on a button. Although this seems like a very helpful idea, it actually hurts your website and can confuse and frustrate...
It can be hard to identify the success of a social media post today. When it comes to the content your church is sharing across different channels, how do you identify what did well, versus what didn’t? Social media is still so new to everyone, that many people can’t...
A website - in some ways - is very much like a house. Both have a single address so everyone knows where to find you. You want both to have private areas that only you can use, but you also want to have your house (and website) feel warm and inviting. A website, just...
One of the most common problems we see with websites today are pieces of information are missing or functionality is broken here and there. These seemingly small issues slowly cascade into pain points and frustrations that ultimately make a website a terrible...
People are emerging from their homes, stretching their arms, looking up at the sun, and feeling overall more hopeful than a few months prior. We can’t help but be affected by the weather as humans, which means it’s the perfect opportunity for you to capitalize through...
Think about the last time you visited a website on one of your mobile devices and the experience was terrible. Maybe the font was way too small to read so you needed to zoom in, or maybe it was too hard to tap on a button, or maybe parts of the website didn’t even...
The power of modern technology and the internet is changing the ways that you can run a ministry. Gone are the days where you can only post announcements or upcoming events in print newsletters or on the church bulletin board. With new technology being used more and...
Spring is in the air, birds are outside chirping, the temperature is rising, and the sun is hanging in the sky a little bit longer every single day. It’s a time of year that has us all itching to get outside, spring clean our homes, and revamp our wardrobes with...
Thanks to the world of digital marketing today, marketing efforts can be fine tuned and directed at specific subsets of a population on behalf of a company. You no longer need to send out that one newspaper ad, or cold call a list of people in the phone book, with...
You have probably heard the saying “quality over quantity” for a variety of aspects of daily life. It could not be more applicable for your ministry’s website. Your ministry's website can have all of the bells and whistles possible, but if it doesn’t have quality,...
As we move forward into 2019, with the summer lingering on the horizon, it’s a great time of year to reflect on your digital marketing strategy and make any necessary changes to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing. It’s a fast-paced industry,...
Social media is bigger than ever! It makes a great place to quickly share information, pictures, and news with your members online. These various platforms also make a great way for your members to communicate information and feedback with you in real time! It is...
When it comes to making disciples of your church attendees, and really reaching into their hearts to create a community that flourishes in God’s love, technology can actually be an asset to the church. Although the arrival of technology is inhibiting socialization and...
If you’re tasked with growing your church body, you are probably considering digital avenues that can get the word out about your worship center in a much more efficient manner than you can on your own. If you’re looking for a tool that won’t necessarily break the...
Great websites do more than provide great information in a clean and easy to use package. They interact with the user to enhance their overall experience when viewing the site. The term “interact” doesn’t necessarily mean twenty different popups for your user to...
Personal information such as your Social Security Number, full name, date of birth, credit card number(s), etc., are some of the most private and valuable pieces of information in life. With the growing footprint and popularity of digital media - social media networks...
It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. This could not be more true when it comes to using images or videos on your website. Any form of media, whether it be images, videos, or a combination of both can convey emotion and a welcoming environment better...
When you see branding and ministry in the same sentence it can raise an eyebrow or two. However, take a moment to think about everything that the term “branding” can include. Some more obvious items are a logo, maybe a tagline or catchphrase, and an identifiable color...
The Internet is a big place today – with over 2.77 billion social media users and almost half of the world’s population in ownership of a smartphone, you can find just about anyone sifting through website pages, social media posts, articles, and so forth. That means...
Did you know as of this month, 2.77 billion people worldwide use social media on a daily basis? And the vast majority of those social media users are signing onto their accounts and sifting around content for more than 2-hours. Social media is here, and it is a...
Populating your site with quality content is only a small piece of running a website that drives users to find out more about you and your ministry and to create a lasting relationship. Making sure that both users and search engines can find your content online is...
As we all know at this point, social technology is here to stay, which is why digital marketing services are more relevant than ever for churches, congregations, and organizations today. Thanks to the various metrics, social media platforms, website tools, and video...
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10 The Bible makes it clear that tithing is an important part both for personal selflessness, as...
Happy New Year! We might only be a few weeks into 2019, but change is in full swing. The WordPress community has had an extremely busy couple of weeks with the introduction of WordPress 5.0, also known as Gutenberg, and all of the changes that have come with it. Don’t...
This week, we are honored to hear from a guest author, the Rev. Laura Bratton, about the importance of making your websites accessible to those with different physical and mental abilities. Rev. Bratton is a coach and consultant who works with people to face difficult...
There's a repeated phrase in the world of social media: content is king. As a church leader who also does social media I understand the phrase but have some trouble with it because if we're going to call anything king it should be Jesus. But the main point of this...
Yesterday I was asked a very interesting question based on something I had tweeted. https://twitter.com/WorshipTimes/status/412229989438730240 A friend texted me to aks how often new technology should be tried out at church events, and I saw a major mistake in my...
Many churches are using social media thoughtfully to assist the hiring process. Often churches have hiring committees made up of dedicated people who are volunteering their time. We all want our time to be respected and valued. Using social media and technology...
According in the 2013 Millennial Impact Study, 83% of Millennials have phones with access to the internet and often read non-profit websites and emails on their phones. The biggest "pet peeve" as named in the study of Millennials is trying to negotiate a website that...
Have you ever wondered what people who aren't regular attenders at your church think about your website? The easiest thing to do is to find someone who fits in that category to look at your website and tell you, but that's not always possible. We don't want to jump on...
It is that time of year in churches across the world. It's Advent worship planning time! Advent is the four wonderful Sundays before Christmas where we focus on preparation for Jesus' birth. This year Advent begins on December 2nd, but Advent planning often starts...