Mark Waltz & Butch Whitmire (The GCC Experience: by design)

Managing the process of creating ideas and avoiding burnout. Discussed the series planning process (Excel spreadsheet/flowchart) and how GCC works from brainstorm to final series title with specific messages and arts elements. Good discussion on how or if to use the various elements based on the climate or specific orientation of the church.

(Arts elements: (too numerous to post all of them) but here are a few: ViewMaster, Letter From God, The Cleavers, More Than a Number, Everybody's Fool, etc.)

Mark Batterson (We're not alone)

Mark talked about the struggles and successes of his church ministry in Washington D.C. (National Community Church).

One of the sites (multi-site church) is in a coffee house built by the church off the premise that Jesus hung out by wells to talk to people since wells were where people met, drank and shared conversation.

Spoke on the power of technology and its use at NCC.

1. Podcasting ("supplement" versus "substitute" to ministry)
2. Blogging (getting information out at the speed of the blogosphere)

5 Final Thoughts (based on the NCC journey)

1. Enjoy the journey - Don't get lost in expectation, but enjoy the process
2. Be yourself - Don't try to be all things to all people or measure up to other peoples expectations
3. Stop criticizing - Be known for what you're for rather than what you're against
4. Offend pharisees - Choose to offend the "traditional" establishment or religiosity rather than the Holy Spirit
5. Make mistakes - They can be learned from and often are the moments you look back on and smile/laugh

Perry Noble (We're not alone)

Perry is the senior pastor at NewSpring Church and presented on the problem with inaction. He encouraged pastors to be proactive and take action so disengaged people will be reached.

4 Strategies (based on the NewSpring Church journey)

1. Engage - Church has been boring for far too long - why perpetuate the problem? Church should be the most engaging place on the planet because Christians have the most engaging story there is
2. Enlarge - Grow the kingdom and count the numbers! Focus on "felt need" rather than the stuff the "steeple people" demand. If you go after the type of people that nobody else wants - you won't be able to stop the growth that occurs
3. Endure - Teach people in the church how to minister to each other and the church won't fall apart when the pastor isn't there
4. Enable - See people discover their potential in Christ through the process of volunteer ministry

[time of worship - awesome]

(Other arts elements thrown in: We Are Family, King Without a Crown)

Mark Beeson (Are we up to the challenge?)

Finished up the day discussing the delivery of the arts as a challenge we must accept. But to be sure we understand that the church itself is NOT theatre - where everyone plays along as if the storyline is fake or made up. People matter! Arts are leveraged for the purpose of helping people understand the human condition - not live in denial when it comes to real life problems, hurts and needs.

What GCC learned in the last year:

• We must focus (Focus on 5)

(Arts element: Fix You)

Mark Beeson (Just who do you think you're talking to?)

Session 1 opened with the Senior Pastor of Granger Community Church discussing the topic of relevance and the population we serve in our immediate communities. Music, drama and media were used to show examples of the modalities used at the church to reach the community with the love of Christ.

(Arts elements: Move Along and iDate)

Tim Stevens (What's buzz? What's worthy? What's buzz-worthy?)

Session 2 included Tim Stevens discussion on buzz and buzz-worthiness. The idea that buzz can be created and yet can also happen at times without determined effort. Buzz takes on a life of its own and can be leveraged in the cause of Christ.

Pop culture said to be the language of our day and if this "filter" is used, our impact on the culture can be more profound than if pop culture is viewed as evil or bad. You can Ignore, separate, Condemn, Embrace or Leverage the culture. It's up to us.

(Arts elements: PureSex ad campaign used to show the life of "buzz." The Date and Dirty Little Secret used from PureSex series)

Rob Wegner (Is anybody listening?)

Rob spoke on the influence of marketing and "noise" on everyone in today's culture. And how you never know the influence you can have on someone - the idea that every time we step up to the plate (do a service) there will be someone in the audience at the end of his or her rope.

Because of this our interactions must be intentional - abstract rather than a linear evolution of steps and preconceived ideas. What if we programmed our services this way?

Communication works best (lives get changed) when the following three elements/stories overlap:

• My Story (use vulnerability and humor)
• Their Story (taper the story to the focus audience and allow your people to tell their stories)
• God's Story (offer the historical dimension and the story dimension but don't end the story - allow the person to finish the story by asking follow up questions)

(Arts elements: Shane & Shane opened with worship. Numerous clips of GCC teaching pastors.)

I was able to pop in on the IT Roundtable (WiredChurches.com Workshop) led by our very own Jason Powell and hear great conversation about a variety of IT issues. The discussions went from the use of volunteers to permissions to streaming and the use of inkjet versus network printers. The topics were often out of my realm of expertise, but interesting nonetheless.

It was great to see people from a number of churches working together to define best practices and share information that the typical business would lock down in hopes of securing their share of the market.

Also had some interesting conversations on upcoming technology and software like Windows Vista.

Oh, and there were more laptops in the room than people I think...

ICC is coming quickly! This is my first experience with ICC (both attending and presenting.) I have been in a volunteer role at the church for over two years but was never able to join in the fun - until now.

The past few weeks have been all about ICC from the promotional side of things, the registration, the materials, the "being ready" for over 600 people and preparing for your little piece of the puzzle.

I get to attend some great sessions over the next few days, including those from Perry Noble and Mark Batterson. I will also be part of the following breakout sessions:

• Web Strategy Breakout with Kem Meyer (Thursday, 9/21/06)
• Blogging Breakout with Tony Morgan, Kem Meyer and Jason Powell (Friday, 9/22/06)

Stay tuned for updates!

Over the past few weeks I've had opportunity to be in conversation with people on staff and in other organizations who are actively pursuing excellence in media presentation. For the purpose of WDC we'll keep our discussion to best practices in presenting media on the web.

Now I know the term "media" can refer to all sorts of things, but what I'm really talking about is video. With the availability of hi-speed internet connections, we are quickly moving away from simple HTML pages sprinkled with graphics and the occasional audio clip to rich media sites with intense flash interactivity and (up to) High Definition video.

Just look at the Apple website and their use of media (video) for movie trailers. These video clips are offered in a variety of formats so the user can get the best experience based on their connection speed and willingness to wait:

• Small
• Medium
• Large
• HD 480p
• HD 720p
• HD 1080p

When deciding how you want to display media on your website, consider the following things:

Format
There are a variety of formats available for displaying video on the web. The big players have always been Real video, Windows Media and QuickTime formats. But more recently flash jumped into the game by developing the Flash Video format.

Aspect Ratio
The most common aspect ratios for video are 4:3 (standard television) and 16:9 (widescreen). With the push toward High Definition (HD) most televisions are being built with a 16:9 screen and some of the new video cameras are capable of shooting video in the 16:9 aspect ratio.

File Size
When displaying video on the web, you must be aware of the effect it will have on the end user. Keep in mind there are still people using dial-up. But even broadband users can't view video in full HD format yet without a long wait. For example: Trailers for most official movie websites range from 3-5MB for the small clip to 100MB for the HD 1080p format.

Display Format
Another thing that might come up is the way the video is displayed. Here are the most popular ways to present video on the web:

• Embedded in a traditional web page on your site
• Popped up in a new window
• Popped up in the respective player (QuickTime Player, Windows Media Player, Flash Player, etc.)
• Managed through a Media Player designed to organize, display and play video clips as part of a media library

Our Solution
At granger we have chosen to convert all video into flash video (.flv) and present it in a Media Player. Our file sizes vary but are usually 15-25MB for a 3-5 minute clip. We have employed a variable aspect ratio presentation format due to our current video library. The player is in the 4:3 format, but can play the 16:9 clips in the typical letterbox format. Using Sorenson Squeeze we convert large QuickTime files (.mov) into the flash video format (.flv) using the setting for a 768K to 1Mbps stream at 360x270. This provides for excellent quality in this size and decent quality when viewed at 200% of the original. The majority of our clips are still in the 4:3 aspect ratio, but we have determined that all future media will be produced at 16:9 when possible.

As far as HD goes we're getting there. But the cost of cameras, hardware and software can get in the way. Also, it takes an incredible amount of server space to record an entire service in HD.

But! Where there's a will, there's a way.

For now we'll work on getting our video in the 16:9 aspect ratio and who knows - someday we may offer all video in 480p, 720p or 1080p!

I posted about the launch of IE 7 Beta 2 a while ago, but never offered a follow up post on some of the issues I began to have. The main one was a glitch (or at least I think it was a glitch) where I would lose all my ftp connection settings in Dreamweaver when I closed the program. Each time I opened Dreamweaver it would say "Not able to connect to remote host" and when I would get into the site properties there would be no user/password info there. It started the minute I began using the beta version of IE7 and ended the minute I uninstalled it. My wife also noticed some issues on her Dell Inspiron E1505 that went away when IE7 was uninstalled.

So I just resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to wait until the official release in order to use IE7. But this week I checked out the site again and saw that they are in the final stages and are offering the IE7 RC1 (Release Candidate 1). I jumped back in and I'm glad to say I have not had the same Dreamweaver glitch with this release.

I'm not saying I won't experience some problems in the future, but right now I'm really loving the new look and the tabbed browsing. RSS feature is cool, but it's hard to compete with something as functional as Bloglines.

From a development standpoint, I'm also looking forward to the day when all browsers play nice and agree on the same web standards (mainly where css properties are concerned) - hopefully this is a step in the right direction...

Call it what you will, but it's my little slice of heaven. I am currently sitting in a cubicle next to the other brilliant people in the communications department (aka: "the fun hallway") and its already beginning to feel like home. Soon I'll have a docking station with peripherals that can be left plugged in - making for quick in/out trips with the notebook.

Speaking of notebook - I've spent the past week putting it back together (thanks JP!). Our IT Guru did his job in getting me hooked up to the network with synchronized folders and all, but it created a new profile which has made things interesting. Complete overhaul on the file structure (moving and categorizing files/folders), re-customizing the look/feel of the desktop and applied aps and finally, going through the startup process with each application as if it were the first time I'd ever used it!

This process took some time, but like spring cleaning I was able to get rid of some cobwebs and reach a new level of organization that should keep me going for a while...

As for the job description, its a lot of the same stuff I've been doing as a volunteer with a few new projects thrown in. Some cross-training on backend/interface solutions and jumping into a few big projects that should hit the public between the end of this month and early next year (no details available...)

I'm loving every minute of it!

I have been doing volunteer ministry in the communications department at Granger for over two years now. It began with basic web maintenance and some simple graphic design work and has blossomed into two full-blown websites complete with dynamic back-end administration panels, integration with the current CMS used by the church, flash navigation, flash feature sections on main and series pages, and media features that are taking us to entirely new heights.

It has been awesome to work with the team on these projects and peer into the future together. But from now on it will be from a slightly different perspective.

I recently began talks with the Administrative Pastor (Tony Morgan) about what it would look like to actually move into full time ministry at the church. This would mean leaving a career in the mental health field to do something totally different.

After much prayer, personal reflection (and of course conversations with my wife) I (we) accepted the position as Web Director at the church.

My first day at the church will be September 5th.

On one hand this is just a continuation of my two years of ministry. But on the other hand it is a brand new adventure - an incredible opportunity that I believe God was preparing me for with years of leading, teaching and testing.

I'm looking forward to this next leg of the journey!

New Look

You might be asking yourself why the site looks so different. Well, lets just say I thought a small face lift was in order to celebrate the transition. Hope you like it!

I was reviewing local and regional stats on the use of dial-up versus broadband recently and was surprised to see that the percentage of broadband users was less than 30%!

My mind started racing with questions about our site, the target audience, the pageloads, our optimization practices with both images and flash elements, etc. I emailed a few people on the team and ran some questions by them. And when it was all said and done, we'd dotted all the "i's" and crossed all the "t's."

You see as it turns out, our site (gccwired.com) is still accessible to dial-up users (though I wouldn't spend a lot of time trying to view video clips in the media player) so no one is being excluded.
Also, our target audience is much more likely to use broadband that dial-up regardless what the regional stats are showing.

Because of this, we have chosen to design the site with the broadband user in mind. This allows greater flexibility in the technologies used and allows us to keep our sites fixed on cutting edge technology as we strive for excellence in web communications.

With HD on the horizon and other more interactive web applications popping up every day, the future is looking bright. Better get my shades...

Tony Morgan, Administrative Pastor at Granger Community Church and one of the Simply Strategic Guys, put it this way:

I've recently responded to a number of inquiries about the Media Player and Evite components on gccwired.com. Most are questioning who designed them and if they are third part plugins that can be purchased for use on their websites.

Unfortunately I must answer "No" to these inquiries. Both the Media Player and Evite components were designed and coded by our designers at Aspire!One.

The Media Player is a flash interface that has an XML driven playlist. We create the thumbnail images and convert our media into flash video (.flv files). All parts are uploaded to the server and the player dynamically pulls the thumbnails to populate the playlist and creates the link to play the flash video clip in the window on the left.

Similarly the Evite component was coded and integrated into the administration panel used to maintain the site. We have the option to add the Evite component to any new page we create. There is an Evite text entry box in the admin panel that allows you to add copy and html as needed when creating a "story" for publication on the site. When the "story" runs on a page, the evite link is visible and pops up a window with the appropriate copy/images for that "story" (usually an event or service).



Thanks for your inquiries and keep them coming!

Recently I have been peering into the future - attempting to figure out what the Internet might look like 10 years from now, 5 years from now or even 1 year from now for that matter.

Audio is quickly becoming exclusive to the "podcast" while video is quickly becoming the media standard on the web. And one could assume that audio-only information may one day be completely done away with if a video version is always an option.

With the increasing availability of DSL and broadband connections, the development of streaming servers and the use of streaming video (often in flash video (.fla) format), the possibilities appear to be endless.

But in my humble opinion, it seems like all this advancement could meet a dead end someday. And here is why I say that:

Doesn't it make sense that technology (not all technology, but the technology that drives media via the Internet) only needs to develop to a certain point. In other words, won't this technology someday reach it's full potential? Won't it get to the point where any further advancement would be undetectable to the human given our earthly limitations?

Allow me to get more specific:

• At some point the quality of audio ceases to be important because the ear cannot tell the difference beyond that
• At some point the quality of video will cease to be important because our eyes will not be able to tell the difference beyond that
• When your broadband connection is capable of streaming this level of audio and video to the device of your choice, any speed above and beyond that may cease to be important (unless it's to download gargantuan files that require greater bandwidth)
• When you are able to get anything, from anywhere, at any given time, in any format, on whatever device you desire - isn't that good enough?

This is what I'm talking about. This is what I'm trying to figure out. This is the underlying hypothesis that drives my questions about the Internet and how we will be using it in the next few years.

All you have to do is look at the iPod revolution which allows you to carry video in your pocket. And some of the new features on the web like the way ABC now offers streaming video of some of their popular shows each week.

The Church must harness the power of this technology if it is to be relevant in the upcoming years. I love being a part of it and can't wait to see what's next.

I'm not a huge programmer, but I love to learn small tricks that make my workflow easier. One such trick is the Server Side Include (SSI) or PHP Include. These awesome little workhorses make designing a dynamic website a bit more time intensive on the front end, but much easier in the long run.

(Very) Simple Explanation
An "include" is a short function that you place in your HTML/XHTML page. It is just one line that says something like "include "your_document.html" or something like that.

Go here for full explanations: Server Side Includes / PHP includes

When the browser gets to this function it goes looking for the "your_document" file and "includes" it in the page. If "your_document" is a text file that says, "Hi - I'm an include" then "Hi - I'm an include" will show up on your page.

The cool thing is that you can now duplicate this HTML/XHTML page as many times as you want and each page will still pull "your_document" into that page. This allows you to make global changes in a websites look and feel by simply changing the "your_document" file.

In the past I used includes for navigation only. I would create an HTML page called "nav.html" and it would just be a list of links. Each page called this file to populate the navigation panel on that page. If I wanted to add a link to the site, I simply updated the "nav.html" page and every page on the site had the new link!

However recently I have experimented with includes for headers, navigation, footers, and even simple form elements.

Coupling includes with the power of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) makes website maintenance a breeze and makes routine site enhancements much more doable.

I love a new idea, product or version of a product that makes life easier for everyone. So it is no wonder I am constantly on the lookout for the latest and greatest in browser technology.

I am staying away from Netscape for now, but use IE6 and Firefox interchangeably. IE is the standby that never fails, while Firefox offers the cool features and has awesome extensions to personalize and maximize the performance.

But the other day (3/20/06) IE7 Beta 2 was made available and I have been trying it out to see what I think. So far I love it! Reminds me a lot of Firefox with integrated RSS feed management and tabbed browsing. I like the new minimalist approach to the toolbars and the floating favorites menu that can either fly out or be pinned to the sidebar. Also, check out the zoom feature to see the small stuff!

Of course there are drawbacks to any Beta version (I purposefully did NOT try Beta 1 to avoid the initial bugs). Already I see some issues with flash objects (requires you to click on them initially to make them active) but I haven't had it long enough to give a full list of my likes/dislikes. The thing I'm really looking forward to is whether or not microsoft is going to play nice and work toward standardization for cascading style sheet (css) support...

Hopefully after a bit more work, they will release IE7 and the world will be a better place for all of us!

I've been using Blogger for quite a while now with no problems and excellent flexibility. Sure there are more robust applications out there (TypePad, WordPress, etc.) but for now I'm happy with the simplicity of Blogger for personal blogging and even for some side projects I have been working on.

For example, I am currently doing a website that will have four sections completely driven by Blogger. The Blogger Admin Panel serves as the Content Management System (CMS) for the pages which allows "less techie" people control over the site in a more dynamic way. The awesome thing is this: the people who will be updating these pages are already bloggers! So there is NO learning curve (how cool is that?)

All the work is in the front end - incorporating the Blogger specific tags into your existing page (similar to html tags but are dynamic to call data from the appropriate places after a post has been published). After that it's a detailed incorporation of your sites stylesheet.css and the styles from the blog template (if you're stripping down an existing one) and that's a wrap.

Blogger allows two publishing formats. The first (and easiest) is to publish all posts/images to the Blogger servers (called "blogspot"). But the second option is the one that rocks! Blogger will publish posts/images directly to your website via ftp or sftp. Simply enter the correct path(s) to the correct directory(ies) and Blogger does the rest...

What was designed for blogging can just as easily be used as a CMS!

Thanks for everything Google!

One of the best things about doing ministry with the technology and communications team at Granger Community Church is being able to work with top notch professionals. Not just because they are good at what they do, but because they go the extra mile to ensure what they are doing meets a "higher" standard of quality.

I guess you could call it a "culture of excellence." It's an understanding that something should only be done if it's going to be done well. And I've seen it over and over again. We will come up with an idea, develop it, possibly even test it out a bit but then trash it if quality isn't there or if there isn't a support team in place to back it up and ensure longevity.

For years I have worked in the field of mental health and unfortunately strategic planning is often the last thing tried. In fact, what usually happens is the old "knee-jerk" reaction where you experience a problem and quickly slap a bandaid on it. However, this bandaid quickly falls off and the problem is still there. "Plans" are often initiated just to show that something was done to address the problem - regardless if it is a good solution or not.

But with this team, it seems like everything is well thought out. You weigh the pros and cons long before making something policy.

A good example of this is our web strategy which consists of the following:

• Overall site design (what we call "heavy lifting") will be outsourced. Aspire!One designed our websites, the content management systems behind the scenes and will complete any full-scale site improvements or large upgrade projects.
• Staff at GCC keep the site running smoothly by adding and removing content on a regular basis.
• Volunteers add value to the team by helping out with maintenance, developing graphics, adding flash content, doing simple layout/scripting projects, etc.

It's an awesome strategy that has worked well since I've been involved at the church.

I can't wait to see what the next 5 years brings!