| Wikipedia describes Web 2.0 as an
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| | will involve having your own blog server
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| often-misused phrase that refers to
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| | versus a freebie account in a shared
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| second-generation Internet-based services
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| | environment.
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| that allow people to share and
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| | Newsletter Management: Electronic
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| collaborate in previously unavailable
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| | newsletters simply cannot be ignored for
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| ways. If you cut through the marketing
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| | effective ministry due to their viral
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| hype of this term, you're left with a
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| | nature. A commonly used marketing term,
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| simple concept: the web is no longer a
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| | viral marketing refers to the act of one
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| static medium with limited or one-way
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| | person sending or forwarding information,
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| communication. Fully utilized, static
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| | they found helpful, to others who they
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| church websites, with little or no reach,
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| | know might benefit from it. In other
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| can be transformed into
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| | words, an effective newsletter not only
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| community-building, self-propagating,
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| | finds its way to the subscribers, but
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| communication powerhouses with enormous
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| | they typically forward meaningful
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| reach. Is this important to your
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| | newsletters to others. Many factors
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| ministry? No. It's not important; it's
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| | influence the effectiveness of this
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| critical. Let me explain.
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| | method including subscriber management,
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| A church, by its very definition, is a
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| | the quality of the content, and the focus
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| community of like-minded individuals who
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| | on gaining new subscribers.
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| share and collaborate on a common belief
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| | Forums: Adequately moderated, church
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| and mission. More importantly, in
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| | website forums can provide the perfect
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| Christian churches, the spreading of this
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| | means for developing a community around
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| message is accomplished by members of
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| | your online ministry. Topics can be
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| that community sharing their beliefs with
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| | discussed or debated, church classes can
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| others. By utilizing the communication
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| | have their own forums for collaborating
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| vehicles currently associated with the
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| | on teachings, and questions about the
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| term "Web 2.0," you effectively replicate
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| | faith can be answered. While there are
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| your physical church and mission on the
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| | some obvious requirements for moderation,
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| web. Unlike your local congregation,
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| | a good system will allow several layers
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| however, the web-enabled version has
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| | of control that provide a balance of
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| instant global reach.
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| | administrative control and management
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| Here's an example: as a pastor you give
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| | ease specific to your needs and
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| your sermon to your congregation on
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| | abilities.
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| Sunday morning. The reach of this sermon
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| | Image Galleries: Image galleries provide
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| is limited to the people present, and
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| | far more than the obvious display of
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| anyone with whom they may verbally share
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| | happy times within your congregation. A
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| that message. What if that same sermon
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| | well-made gallery will allow optional
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| could be available globally, appearing
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| | user interaction, such as rating and
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| automatically in subscribers' podcasting
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| | voting, in addition to commentary. Most
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| software halfway around the world, within
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| | importantly, make certain your system has
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| hours of the original? What if these same
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| | the ability to send pictures as e-cards.
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| subscribers were to share that sermon
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| | As previously mentioned, this feature is
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| with friends, the original propagating
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| | viral in nature, allowing users to send
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| from MP3 player to MP3 player, around the
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| | selected images as postcards with
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| world? Suddenly, your non-congregational
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| | greetings to friends, again, greatly
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| reach is exponential. Not only is this
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| | extending your online reach.
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| scenario possible, it is readily
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| | Events Calendar: No church website
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| available. Believe it or not, podcasting
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| | design would be complete without a
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| refers to only one vehicle of what
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| | full-featured, fully searchable events
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| currently constitutes "Web 2.0." There
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| | calendar. Events can be the lifeblood of
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| are many other such vehicles, each with
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| | a church, and getting the message out,
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| its own ability to reach separate web
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| | about those events, is mission-critical.
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| populations.
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| | User Polls: While sometimes overused in
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| Given the Great Commission all Christian
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| | secular websites, user polls on a church
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| churches are tasked with, utilizing these
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| | website can be extremely effective for
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| tools is critical, as any means of
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| | several reasons. Religion and politics
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| exponentially increasing your listener
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| | have long been the start of many a debate
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| base should be. To follow is a short list
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| | and. as a result, most people are very
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| of features which should be utilized in
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| | willing to give their opinions on either
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| your current church website design, or
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| | topic. By providing effective, anonymous
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| used as a checklist for commercially
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| | polls, you not only encourage user
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| available systems.
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| | interaction, but you can gain a better
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| Audio Library: Sermons are the most
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| | understanding of the mindset of your site
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| tangible commodity of a church, and
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| | visitors. Many times, this can provide
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| subsequently, should get primary
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| | great material for sermons!
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| attention. An audio library, distinctly
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| | Email to friend: This little feature
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| separate from the previously mentioned
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| | should appear on every page of
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| podcasting stream, allows you to make all
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| | significant content throughout your
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| recorded features, from sermons to music
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| | church website. Its function is to
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| to instruction, available for online
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| | provide a means for site visitors to
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| listening and download-capable for later
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| | email a specific page they think might be
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| use. This feature should be extremely
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| | of interest to their friends. This
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| easy to navigate for your users so that
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| | feature, while seemingly small, is also
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| they can quickly locate specific
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| | viral in nature (one person receives it
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| recordings.
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| | and sends to another) and can have a
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| Video Streaming: While still bandwidth
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| | significant impact in your ministry's
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| intensive, video, like audio, can be a
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| | reach.
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| very effective medium for spreading the
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| | Search-Engine Optimization: Whether you
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| gospel. Where possible, audio should be
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| | are attempting your church website design
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| used unless there are significant visual
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| | by hand, or are using a commercial
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| reasons to do so otherwise. Visual
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| | system, make absolutely certain that you
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| presentations and performances are better
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| | don't overlook good search-engine
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| candidates for this than the typical
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| | optimization practice. Without going into
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| Sunday sermon.
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| | a long description of the function of
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| Podcasting Feeds: A podcast feed is an
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| | each, make sure that any system you use
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| audio subscription initiated by users who
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| | automates accurate meta tag creation, has
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| click on your feed link. If you have ever
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| | a reciprocal link-management system and,
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| subscribed to a favorite television
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| | if your site is dynamic (database-
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| series with a Tivo, then you're already
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| | driven). that URLs are rewritten as
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| familiar with how a podcast works in
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| | search-engine friendly. Overlooking these
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| conjunction with podcast software, such
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| | items will result in decreased
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| as Apple iTunes. By clicking on your
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| | search-engine positioning, so pay close
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| podcast link, users are subscribed, via
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| | attention to these. As your site grows,
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| their podcast software, and subsequent
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| | the more important the automation or
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| sermons will download automatically for
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| | near-automation of these functions
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| them, becoming instantly available for
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| | become.
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| use on their MP3 players. This is a
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| | Multi-Lingual Page Translation: While
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| separate feature from your Audio Library,
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| | there is no true 100%-accurate
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| as podcasts should be regularly scheduled
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| | page-translation service available, there
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| recordings, as a rule of thumb. You may
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| | are some that do an outstanding job. Make
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| have a great variety of recorded material
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| | sure that all your content pages have
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| available, but you may not want every
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| | some form of multi-lingual translation
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| recording linked as part of a regular
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| | capabilities. The more languages you can
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| podcast feed. Make sure any system that
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| | translate into, the more lives you are
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| you are considering makes this
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| | likely to impact on a global scale.
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| distinction.
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| | RSS Feeds: RSS feeds provide a similar
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| Blogging: Blogging is the perfect online
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| | subscription method as podcast feeds do,
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| mechanism for your pastoral staff to
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| | but they are focused on textual content
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| reflect and provide guidance between
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| | versus audio. These feeds can be
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| Sundays. Pastoral staff blogs can help
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| | established throughout your site and
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| bring repeat visitors to your site and
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| | alert subscribers to changes in content,
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| provide a platform for personal insight,
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| | without them having to browse your site.
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| that goes beyond the confines and
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| | Areas of your site that do not frequently
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| structure of Sunday's sermon. Entire
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| | change (like your statement of faith) are
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| search engines exist for blogs and,
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| | not good candidates for an RSS feed,
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| because of this, ministries have an
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| | while constantly updated content areas
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| enormous opportunity to reach entirely
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| | are.
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| new readers. The most effective blogging
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|
