Founder & Editor-in-Chief Steve Hewitt - steve@ccmag.com Managing Editor Kevin Cross - kevin@ccmag.com
Applying Tomorrow’s Technology to Today’s Ministry Volume 25
July 2013
No. 7
3 cover story
The Institutional/Traditional Church in America is in Decline. Is Technology to Blame?
Copy Editors Gina Hewitt Magen Cross
By Steve Hewitt
Corporate Home Office
7 Church Windows Software
Quick and Easy “Coffee Break” Tips for Treasurers
9
Protected with Purpose
from Church Windows Software
App Safety: Too Many Apps Can Spoil Your Appetite
13
The Browser
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Engaging Your Parishioners Online
By: Steven Sundermeier
Five Online Bible Study Resources for Everyone By: Susan Codone Evangelizing Your Faith Online By: Joe Luedtke
How to Track Employee Benefit Eligibility in 2013 By: John Foucault
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Points North
Higher Power With Kevin Digital Evangelism
Kevin A. Purcell – kevin@kevinpurcell.org
Digital evangelism with e-Sword (Part 2) Michael L White - mlwhite@parsonplace.com
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The Power And The Danger
Church Communication Advice to Church Planters Yvon Prehn - yvon@effectivechurchcom.com
33 Nick At Church
Church WiFi Strategies
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5 Simple Logos Bible Software Tips
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Contributing Editors Yvon Prehn Nick Nicholaou Kevin A. Purcell Russ McGuire Michael L White
By Russ McGuire - russ.mcguire@gmail.com
Nick Nicholaou - nick@mbsinc.com
of Christian Computing® Magazine, or Christian Computing, Inc.
Articles that are highlighed are provided by our partners www.ccmag.com/2007_03/2007_03editorial.pdf
Christian Computing® Magazine
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cover story
The Institutional/Traditional Church in America is in Decline. Is Technology to Blame? By Steve Hewitt
I
have been in love with technology and computers since I saw my first TRS-80 computer (from Radio Shack) back in 1977, and that same Model 1 is sitting on a table across the room from me as I write this article! In 1989 I started Christian Computing Magazine because of my conviction that the church needed to learn how to use technology to enhance and expand ministry. I still hold that conviction, and am excited about new computer programs, applications and online services that are constantly coming to market for churches. If churches are not making the most of ChMS, event and facility management software and services, online giving, texting, social media, and more, they will soon discover they are disconnected with their congregation and have little chance of staying connected with their membership and community. Yes, I am a techno-evangelist! The use of today’s technology is necessary to enhance and expand our ministry. However… Christian Computing® Magazine
The Institutional/Traditional Church in America is in decline. By “Institutional/Traditional” I am not referring to the style of the worship service or the type of music they sing. I am referring to any church that meets in a building that
Click to read Steve Hewitt’s new e-book The NEW Protestant Reformation, The Church is About to Transform! July 2013
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was bought or rented, with a paid staff and/or beliefs that are centered on specific doctrines of a denomination. In the July issue last year I wrote about this very subject, and, while it wasn’t really about technology, I also published a rant about why I thought the church was in decline. I was wrong. Last year my rant stated that the church was in decline in America because most of those in church had forgotten how to love others. Of course most churches have some problems; there are those that have members who are hypocrites, those that are full of judgment instead of grace, and those that seem to be unfriendly. However, this is not the real reason why the church, the institutional/traditional church in America, has been declining drastically for the last 20 years. So who or what is to blame? While there is no one single factor, I now believe strongly that the reason our institutional churches are failing is because our society has experienced significant change in how we connect with others and how we communicate. And, most of this change has been brought about by technology! I first learned about the decline of the institutional/traditional church in America about a dozen years ago. Walt Wilson was speaking at a conference Christian Computing Magazine was hosting on technology and ministry. Walt is the Founder and Chairman of the Global Media Outreach, but at the time had just authored the book, The Internet Church. The Internet was new, and Walt had written his book to encourage the church to use the Internet (establish websites, use email, etc.). In order to make his point on the importance of using new technology, he shared some incredible facts about the decline of the church in America. I completely agreed with him about the importance of using the Internet and technology, and have dedicated my life to encouraging and educating the church on how to make the best use of technology to enhance and expand their ministry. However, I also watched and studied the status of the church in America. Five years ago, I became seriously concerned. I spent over a year visiting churches of all types across our nation in order to learn what we were doing right, and what we were doing wrong. As a result of what I had learned, three years ago I started a church. While I certainly felt Christian Computing® Magazine
God’s leading in doing so, it was also a chance to experiment. It was a non-denominational church, and centered on removing many of the things that the unchurched seemed to complain about when referring to churches. I never took a salary, we were very non-judgmental, and we held being authentic as a top priority. We named the church “Mosaic” because a mosaic is a beautiful picture made up of broken pieces. There would be no hypocrisy in this new church. The church was a great success. We grew from four in attendance to over 50 in attendance in just 18 months, and baptized eight, five of which were adults. And then we began dying. At first I was very puzzled. We used a great ChMS program, had a sharp website, used texting, initiated online giving, streamed our services and had great multimedia and video in every service. All of this helped, yet after 18 months our attendance declined. I have since learned that most new church startups are failing after just two years. This was a very important discovery in helping me understand the problem. While I was using all of the technology tools I could (which is very important) I had failed to make note of HOW technology had changed our society, especially in ways we communicate and connect! While I was making good use of technology, I was trying to direct people to “do” church in a way that was traditional (renting a building, seats all face forward, 30 minutes of sing-a-long followed by 30 minutes of a sermon, thank everyone for attending and close in prayer). My search for the reason why churches across America, as well as the one I had started, were in decline intensified. I started reading books on the subject, lots of books. There were also lots of blogs, listing all of the things churches are doing wrong, encouraging us to be more missional, seeker friendly, use better tools and technology, etc. While there are many great success stories (15% of our churches ARE growing), over all, the decline in attendance and membership in the institutional/traditional churches in America has continued to go down. Who was to blame? My conclusion surprised me. In a way, it was right under my nose. For almost a decade I had taught a session, at conferences I had been invited to speak at, on the subject titled, “The Personal Communication Age”. The essence of July 2013
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the session was that the way we have communicated in the past has changed. People no longer want information from an expert or specific leader, they like information from someone personal, individual, someone that doesn’t have an agenda, spin or something to market. They don’t want to face forward and listen to one person; they want to sit in a circle, or around a table. They also want the opportunity to be a part of the conversation. This is why newspapers have died and blogs have taken off. Sure, you could always write a letter to the editor, but newspapers only print a few and are selective. However, with a blog, people are able to comment, question and even criticize in a speedy method and everyone is able to become part of the conversation. There is little doubt that social media has played a big part of how communication and connecting have changed. In fact, the change in society has impacted much more than just the church. Basically, all institutions and organizations in America have been impacted by the way we have changed our methods of communication and connection. Our involvement, membership, and time spent in institutional organizations is called “social capital”, and it has drastically decreased in America since the 70’s. Attendance and membership has declined significantly in most organizations. For example, membership is down drastically for the PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Shriners, Masons, Jaycees, etc. Robert D. Putnam wrote a book published in 2000 examining the decline in social capital in America (the time we spend Christian Computing® Magazine
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involved in group and social events or organizations.) The title of the book is “Bowling Alone”. The facts are amazing, but the title of his book is important. Bowling alleys in the 60’s and 70’s made most of their income from people joining bowling leagues. However, in 2013, very few want to join a league. They don’t want to make a commitment to bowling a specific night at a specific time. However, bowling alleys are doing fine because they recognized the change in society and they adapted. They realized people were moving away from joining leagues, and wanted to bowl alone, or with a small group of friends, normally at a spontaneous time. Bowling alleys began to promote special fun bowling nights, including fogging the lanes, strobe lights and loud music. The public loved it. Bowling alleys adapted, most churches didn’t. Most institutional churches still want their members, and prospects in their community to come into a building at a specific time. They want everyone to face forward and to listen to a lecture (sermon) with no opportunity for input, comment or questions. They want them to join and commit to the institution/organization. It isn’t working. And if we continue to do things the way we have always done them, ignoring the changes in how people want to connect and communicate, some predict that half of all of our institutional churches may be gone in just ten years! There is some good news! First, there are solutions for how an institutional traditional church can adapt. I have seen unique churches combine traditional worship services with personal communication methods. And, there are other ways to reach out and connect with our communities even though social capital has declined. Christian Computing® Magazine
There isn’t enough time to share ideas for solutions in this one article. I will be sharing specific ideas in part two of this series in next month’s issue of Christian Computing Magazine. However, for more information on this subject, and a new ministry I am helping to establish to reach the un-churched Christian in America, check out a new e-book I have just published. It is about 40 pages, and it is free! Click here to download the book now.
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church windows software
CHURCH WINDOWS SOFTWARE
Quick and Easy “Coffee Break” Tips for Treasurers
S
o we’re not talking about whether a coarse or fine grind is preferred for your favorite coffee bean, nor will we mention whether the French press or the drip coffee maker is preferred by church treasurers world-wide. Here are just a few, shortand-sweet pointers: 1) Save paper – at meetings, distribute copies of abbreviated reports. Limit the reports to mostly subtotals. Many committee members prefer seeing a synopsis – a snapshot --- the big picture, rather than getting mired in the details of line after line of numbers. Now, you’ll want to be prepared for questions. So for your records, either print off reports with greater detail or have a laptop handy, to be ready for more specific questions. 2) Be sure to know what funds are stored in each asset. With fund accounting
Christian Computing® Magazine
being slightly different than business accounting, you’ll want to know the connection. If you get a question about the Balance Sheet, there may be more than one fund whose monies are housed in a single asset account. Whether on paper or just in your head, have these connections mapped out. It’s likely that your management software will help in allowing you to set up subtotals or otherwise make a logical connection. 3) Think through possible ramifications before making any changes to prior months or years. Reversing an alreadyJuly 2013
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reconciled entry or adjusting a prior balance can change an already-published report. If it is necessary to make changes to past transactions, we suggest that you make a data backup before editing. The backup can always be restored if you do not like the effect your changes have on data and reports. 4) Review the layout of the reports you provide to ensure that they are a benefit to those reading the reports. This might necessitate changing a few items around on your chart of accounts. It might mean simply moving items into a different subtotal or possibly even creating a new subtotal to give a better breakdown of cash flow. But in the end, you’ll be providing more relevant reporting and being a good steward toward your service to the church. Coffee break is over. Back to “the books!”
Christian Computing® Magazine
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protected with purpose
App Safety: Too Many Apps Can Spoil Your Appetite By: Steven Sundermeier
D
oes your child own a smartphone? How about access to one? The privileged (U.S.) reality is that many kids do. They are using their smartphones at the mall, and while riding in vehicles, but we don’t just see them from a distance, do we? Within my own extended family, full of tweens and teenagers, their phones seem to be a permanent fixture at dinner, at sporting events and even during “Happy Birthday” choruses. According to a recent report conducted by comScore, Inc, there were 141 million smartphone users in the United States as of May 2013. But what’s a Smartphone without Apps? As if our lives are not complicated enough, there are hundreds of thousands of app’s being made available to be downloaded on these devices. And with so many app’s out there, it may be about time you become familiar with some of the more popular apps among children and young adults, and arm yourself with some tips to help safeguard your child from unintentionally/intentionally exposing his/her data. Christian Computing® Magazine
“Exposing” sounds revealing, possibly embarrassing, and that’s just what we are getting at. Most people believe that when they post information and photos through popular apps (see below), they are only sharing it with their friends, but the (technical) reality is that this information is far more public than it was intended to be. Initially, let’s take a closer look at a few apps that are popular with children and young adults, and the dangers of sharing information/photos within these apps. Instagram, according to the website Wikipedia. July 2013
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Christian Computing速 Magazine
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org, is an online photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking services, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr. A common practice on Instagram is to upload pictures and assign hashtags to those photos. Adding tags to the photos helps users connect to new (often unknown) followers and share their photos with more people. The apparent danger is that the use of hashtags with images allows anyone (including complete strangers) with access to Instagram to view the images and the private information associated with it. This increases risks in many areas, including the alreadyrisky trend of sexting. An additional concern is the fact that hashtags allow for image searches, without the fear of these being reflected in the browser history. hashtags erase the breadcrumb trail that our kids leave, and this isn’t a good thing. Snapchat is a photo messaging application that allows a user to take photos, record videos, add text and drawings to their friends or anyone they wish to send a video or photo. Once sent, the app then destroys the image, after the user has received it, after a period of 10 -15 seconds. A message, photo or video that self-destructs after 15 seconds: quick and painless, right? The hidden risk here, (possibly not apparent to many), is that the recipient of the video or photo can take a screenshot of the image and redistribute that photo on his/her social networking sites. This potential for harm can increase the risk of cyberbullying and/or sexting. Confiscating your son or daughter’s phone is a dramatic security measure (that won’t win you any popularity awards). Before we go there, let’s discuss some proactive measures to keep them safe and informed.
apps that provide mobile tracking software. For example, StealthGenie allows you to track all the activities on WhatsApp. With mobile tracking software installed, you can use your home computer to track your child’s text messages, phone calls, etc. online. 3. Make it a priority and requirement to join your child on his/her Instagram and Facebook account, etc. The benefit of joining your child’s accounts is that you will be able to see and search the “public” information being posted by or about your child. 4. Place download and content restrictions on your children’s phone. Most Smartphone manufacturers download restrictions are based on their content rating. For example, with an iPhone you can restrict by Settings > General > Restrictions > Allowed Content > Apps. 5. Most importantly, once you’ve invested time into learning of the dangers that lurk out there regarding mobile apps, make it a habit to educate your child regarding what you’ve learned, what the dangers are and on the steps they can take to steer clear of these dangers.
1. Take the time to become familiar with your child’s smartphone and its’ technology. I realize there can be initial frustration in learning today’s technology but the benefits are well worth it. Begin by reading the included user manual that is included with the purchase of the smartphone, or research the various functionalities of your phones online. 2. With the endless apps that are available today, why not take advantage of one that will help you be aware/involved with your child’s text messages, phone calls, etc. online. Evaluate Christian Computing® Magazine
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Proper communication will go a very long way. While the steps above can be used as a guideline for taking proactive steps to help your child from falling victim, the only sure bet is- dare I say it- power it down. Be the first on your block to NOT deem it necessary for a child or young adult within your family to own a device worth more than they have (most likely) ever saved. Fewer options mean fewer headaches, and certainly fewer security breaches. Communication can (gasp) happen face to face. See if your child would like to “chat” with you in person today. I can guarantee that family gatherings will be more fun when all parties are attentive to each other, rather than the latest app. Education is an excellent defense, and Thirtyseven4 has created an educational poster titled “Smartphones: The New Target” that offers additional tips for safeguarding your smartphone itself. The poster is free to the public and can be acquired by visiting the following page: http://www.thirtyseven4.com/posters1.html
Easy
CHURCH WEBSITES FROM
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▶ Engage current members ▶ Educate everyone about the faith ▶ Attract visitors to your parish ▶ Welcome newcomers and returning members
Call for a free demo: 800-446-3035
Christian Computing® Magazine
July 2013
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the browser
Five Online Bible Study Resources for Everyone By: Susan Codone
L
ast month, I shared an article about using Internet-enabled televisions in Sunday School and Bible study classrooms as teaching resources. In response to questions I received after the article was published, I’d like to share some recommendations for sites offering online Bible studies and resources. I’m a Sunday School teacher, and if you’re one as well and you plan like I do, you probably read the Scripture, the lesson material, and then turn to the Internet for research. Many commentaries are now online, along with a wealth of sermons and articles you can plumb for help in interpretation, verse-by-verse analysis, and simple devotional thoughts. I’d like to share five sites I use frequently for research and support as a teacher. Disclaimer – I am not trained as a theologian and I use resources that often cross denominational and doctrinal lines. My goal is to find useful Christian Computing® Magazine
information wherever I can, and if it does not fit into my belief structure, I tread carefully. So, with that caveat, please follow my recommendations with care and with your own faith in mind. PreceptAustin.com My first online stop is usually http://preceptaustin.org/. The site lists a disclaimer that Preceptaustin is an independent website and is not affiliated with Precept Ministries International. On the home page, I navigate immediately to Collections and Choose an Option. By clicking on a book, you July 2013
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have access to hundreds of commentaries, word studies, devotionals, sermons, and illustrations. The site is careful to note differences in theological approaches to better guide your search. Some content sources are print, while others are audio and video. While the site isn’t overly attractive from a design perspective, it is well-curated and a great starting point for students or teachers. BibleStudyTools.com This site offers you the opportunity to search “the Web’s largest library of online Bible study resources” and lives up to that promise, with over thirty translations, commentaries, encyclopedias, dictionaries, parallel Bibles, and an interlinear Bible. In addition to the Matthew Henry commentary, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and Nave’s Topical Concordance and historical books, you can sign up for Bible reading plans and free personalization features. BlueLetterBible.org BlueLetterBible.org (BLB) is a fantastic resource everyone can use for personal or group Bible study. Like PreceptAustin.com and BibleStudyTools.com, BLB offers hundreds of commentaries and other print resources, but the feature I find most interesting is the ability to look up the original Greek or Hebrew meanings of biblical words with just a few clicks. Searching a word defaults to the KJV, but you can click on the LexiCon for a translation. The site offers iPhone and iPad apps as well through the App Store. The Gospel Coalition The Gospel Coalition (TGC) is a fellowship of evangelical churches, and thegospelcoalition. org site is beautifully designed site with a wealth of daily blog posts, videos, book reviews, and other articles by pastors and national evangelical church leaders and academics. Since the death of Google Reader, I subscribe to TGC and read posts through Feedly.com. TGC is a great source for upto-date information about current events and how churches and Christians can respond to cultural changes. I often use TGC videos and articles both for my Sunday School class and personal study. Christian Computing® Magazine
Reasons.org Reasons To Believe (RTB), also beautifully designed and easy to read, offers educational resources with a scientific perspective. On the About Us page, the authors explain that their mission is to spread the Christian Gospel by demonstrating that sound reason and scientific research—including the very latest discoveries— consistently support, rather than erode, confidence in the truth of the Bible and faith in the personal, transcendent God revealed in both Scripture and nature.” RTB offers print and video resources as well as mobile apps. In my experience, this site offers reliable and up-to-date content, all wellwritten and timely. For Bible study questions that involve science, RTB is a must-read. In this article, I’ve provided five websites offering hundreds of online resources for personal or group Bible study, but there are many more available. If you know of more useful sites, please contact me and I’ll be happy to feature them in a future article. Again, these are not sites that professional theologians may use, but they offer great resources for lay leaders who have teaching responsibilities. “Susan is an associate professor at Mercer University. In Mercer’s Technical Communication undergraduate degree, students can specialize in Ministry Media & Technology. Contact Susan anytime for more information at codone_s@mercer.edu.”
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engaging your parishioners online
ENGAGING YOUR PARISHIONERS ONLINE
Evangelizing Your Faith Online By Joe Luedtke
E
veryday many of us on social media share the mundane: what we’re having for breakfast, a thought that crossed our mind, or the fact we’re standing in line at a local Starbucks. Yet, how many of us have the denomination of our faith on social media profiles? We use social media for our personal lives so why not for our church? Social media creates groundswell. It was credited for catalyzing the Arab Spring. Could it serve to catalyze your faith? You can’t necessarily predict or come anywhere close to guarantee what will go viral in social media, but heck, if you don’t try, you’re 100% assured it will never work. Here’s a few simple things you can do to start promoting your church and evangelizing your faith online: Christian Computing® Magazine
• Thank Your Parishioners - Use Facebook to thank your parishioner volunteers for their efforts at a recent church event. We all know that volunteers are the lifeblood of our church. Many take on too much and eventually get burnt out, but one of the other reasons volunteers stop volunteering is they don’t feel appreciated. A simple, public “thank you”, goes a long, long way. July 2013
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• Share Your Story – Churches that often setup a Facebook page or Twitter Feed, lament that they are struggling to gain followers or “likes”. You need to have something to say in order to attract followers. Just updating your Facebook page with your church’s mission statement isn’t going to do it. Make sure all the events are always there. Look through your church’s bulletin or newsletter for content that can be posted. What about your priest’s last letter to parishioners or his article in the recent church bulletin? You may have good content that’s just a copy and paste away from being posted online. As a parishioner, you too can help broaden your church’s social media reach. Google’s search engine is built on inbound links and social media activity is built on status updates, retweets, likes, and pins. Here’s some steps every social media savvy parishioner can do:
photo too. Not only are you telling people you are there, you are indirectly inviting them to “come and see.” • Share a parish news story – Most parishes have a website or social profile(s). Share something from one them through a “like”, a “retweet”, a “repin”, share a cause your parish is involved with, post linking to your bulletin or some parish event, etc. There’s always something fun and/ or newsworthy going on at every parish to share along. Social Media is a very powerful too and it’s free and easy to get started. Give it a try. You may find it’s easy to get started evangelizing online. Author’s Note: This article was adapted from a blog post originally done on CatholicTechTalk.com by Brad West.
• Put ‘Catholic’ in your social profile – Facebook and other social media venues typically ask what your ‘religious views’ are. Don’t be shy, put your denomination there. This country is built on our diversity, it’s part of our collective culture, and it’s each of our unique individuality that makes us collectively stronger. Diversity doesn’t mean needing to water down or to hide who you are. Be proud! • Check in at Mass and Church events - The Facebook, Google+ or FourSquare “check in” tells your social media friends what you’re up to. Again, like the point above, be proud of who you are. We all love telling people about a vacation spot we were at, but that’s after the fact. The “check in” says, “I’m here now!” Add a Christian Computing® Magazine
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points north
POINTS NORTH
How to Track Employee Benefit Eligibility in 2013 Three Solutions to A Tricky Topic
A
By John Foucault
ccording to a survey released April 2013 by the Nonprofit Research Collaborative, seven out of ten charities expect donations to rise this year. The same survey also showed that the most successful charities were those that made fundraising a priority for board members and chief executives, and those that were active in thanking donors personally and getting them involved in their organization. But while an “all hands on deck” approach to fundraising is great, it does take a lot of manpower. With the hustle and bustle of increased donations, it can be hard to find time for administrative work, like tracking employee eligibility for the organization’s benefit plans. After all, there are frequently different rules for different components of the plan and different rules for different plans – retirement eligibility versus health care eligibility; employer contributions, employee contributions and possibly employer match contributions. Tracking eligibility for these plans in an on-going and timely manner can be very time-consuming, which takes away from fundraising time. The picture gets even more complicated when you consider that employees are increasingly responsible for their own contributions and the tracking that will be required for the health care act. Under the old defined benefit plans, employers ad-
Christian Computing® Magazine
ministered the plan and paid out a certain amount of money to retired employees each month. But more and more companies are switching over to defined contribution plans, where each employee decides if they are participating. Along with new reporting requirements for the Health Care Reform Act, this makes tracking eligibility and participation even more complex. That means this is an area that can’t be ignored. Procedures for a YWCA participating with the YWCA Retirement Fund, for example, require the local Y location to begin making contributions to the fund for each employee that has met the hoursworked requirement. If an employee is not enrolled in the fund in a timely manner, an unfunded liability will be created for that local Y. When the mistake is discovered, the local Y has to make up both employee and employer contributions, which in the worst case can total tens of thousands of dollars plus July 2013
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a penalty. This can also have a negative effect on the larger organization as a whole. Even for organizations without mandatory enrollment, eligibility tracking is an important process. There are three major ways to track benefit eligibility—outsource the work, do it manually, or use specialized software. Each way has its pros and cons. Outsource Third-party administrators can handle all or part of your organization’s benefit program. Companies like Boston Financial or Aon Hewitt will calculate pension benefits, track employee participation, and provide other related services. If you can afford the fees associated with each of these various program options, this is a straightforward way to handle plan administration. However, outsourcing your eligibility tracking has some major disadvantages. First, you lose a significant amount of control. It’s not always easy to see who will be eligible for your retirement plan in a certain time frame, and you can’t modify an employee’s profile to account for special circumstances. Setting up an outsourcing program can be
difficult and time-consuming, and if you ever decide to cancel, bringing your information back in-house is not always simple. Finally, these agreements can cost a significant amount of money. For smaller, cash-strapped organizations, including tracking eligibility may simply be too expensive to even consider. Do It Yourself Non-profits can save money and gain more control over their benefit eligibility tracking by doing the paperwork themselves. If you have employees who have the time to implement this type of program, you can set up a system of Excel spreadsheets and procedures to track hours that fits your company’s needs. The only cost is employee time, and your eligibility tracking system only has to be as complex as you want it to be. On the other hand, do-it-yourself solutions carry several risks of their own. First, they’re incredibly time-consuming. Comparing multiple reports, looking through years of historical data, and even tracking hours toward eligibility on spreadsheets is quite a chore, especially when administrators have to process this information every time they process a payroll. Second, even when there’s someone available to put in the hours (and there often isn’t, these days), having to juggle so many variables makes it easy to miss something. This is not only financially risky, it’s also bad for employee morale. Putting such a weighty responsibility into the hands of a program administrator who’s already strapped for time is setting yourself up for failure. For many non- profits, do-it-yourself solutions may be more trouble than they’re worth. Software For benefit administrators, specialized software programs like Points North’s Who’s Where can be an ideal compromise. They make tracking benefit eligibility nearly as simple as with a third-party administrator, but offer most of the cost savings and customization that a do-it- yourself system would.
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These programs are compatible with payroll provider data and run eligibility checks every time you process payroll. They provide benefit coordinators with a list of who’s eligible for your plan, who’s enrolled, and most importantly who needs to be enrolled. These best of these solutions are able to track employees who work in multiple locations across the organization and consolidate their hours for eligibility, contributions and reporting to the plan provider. This saves a great deal of time, since users don’t have to compare multiple reports, historical data, or complex spreadsheets. At the same time, it
reduces the risk of liability. All eligible employees will be highlighted, so if enrollment is mandatory, you’ll know who still needs to get signed up. For organizations with multiple levels, Who’s Where’s built-in dashboard can provide a great deal of summary information. Organizations can use the dashboard to see which chapters or employers have eligible but not enrolled employees and also see those who are delinquent in forwarding on their contribution payments through the system’s electronic money movement feature. Software solutions also provide consolidated census files that can be integrated with the plan provider, which eliminates the potential for errors inherent in manual data entry. This dashboard reporting gives the top level of the organization much more hands-on control than they would have by leaving all of this to a third party administrator or the local employer, and it’s very easy to use. These days, running a forwardthinking organization involves a greater focus on fundraising and thanking donors personally. In this kind of a climate, it’s more important than ever to get the paperwork out of the way so you can focus on the big picture. Benefit eligibility tracking systems are essential for planning purposes, but few nonprofits have them set up. Whether you decide to outsource this work, do it yourself, or purchase specialized software, make sure you’re taking this responsibility seriously! John Foucault is President of Points North, a nationally-recognized software firm that has partnered with the YMCA Retirement Fund and several other nonprofits. Their solutions provide integration between HR, Payroll and Time & Labor systems allowing companies throughout North America to automate their work-flow processes.
Christian Computing® Magazine
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higher power with kevin
5 Simple Logos Bible Software Tips
Kevin A. Purcell - kevin@kevinpurcell.org
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e’re going to begin looking at some of the best tips for the major Bible software tools we often cover here at High Power with Kevin. We start with Logos 5 and will also look at BibleWorks, WORDsearch, e-Sword, OliveTree Bible Study and more. If you want to share a tip with our readers for one of these applications or another not listed here, please send it to me using my contact info at the bottom.
Power users of the Logos will likely say that our first 5 tips it in a beginner’s class. As someone once said, “It’s only easy if you know how to do it.” Logos Tip #1 - Organize the Home Page or Dump it Altogether When someone opens Logos version 4 and 5 for the first time, or every time if they’ve never followed this tip, the contents will look much like a newspaper or even like Pinterest. It may seem like a hodgepodge of junk, but users can organize the content to view only what they want to see. In the lower left corner of Logos 5, find the settings icon next to the user name. Click it and a list pops up to review all the categories of content on the Home page. In Logos 4 click on customize to see the menu. Christian Computing® Magazine
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Here’s the list of what we see in Logos 5. The first section covers what’s seen in the left hand column in Logos 5 or top row in Logos 4: • Your devotions • Choose preferred Bible • Lectionary • Library preview • Recent reading lists Below the first section users will find a list of content seen in the newspaper/Pinterest-style layout area of the home page. This area lets users discover what content they own, can buy or tips on how to use the program. • • • • • • • • • • • •
Devotionals Excerpts Faithlife Blog Faithlife Women Logos Blog Logos Community Pricing Logos Pre-Pubs My Logos Messages Proclaim Blog Release Notes Updated Resources Vyrso Voice
Uncheck the things that you don’t want to see. This removes clutter and speeds up the loading of the page since the content comes from the Internet. Some people, after using Logos awhile, realize that the Home Page is little more than a catalog of Logos content with a little of my stuff thrown in. Users who also use a mobile device to do their devotional readings, don’t care about seeing these reading plans on the Home Page. Turn the thing off to get to the Bible study tools faster. Get rid of the Home Page for good by doing the following: 1. Click Tools from top menu 2. Click Program Settings Christian Computing® Magazine
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3. Change the option labeled “At Startup Open to” from Home to one of the other options. I choose Most Recent Layout – any so that it opens to the layout I’ve last used on any of my machines. Now, when I open Logos, it will open to the last layout I used with Logos instead of the cluttered Home Page. Users can also select a blank layout for fast loading or one of their favorite layouts they always use.
study or for commentary reading. Set a blank layout for quick opening of Logos. Go to the Logos Wiki, an online user-maintained help page. It contains tons of great content, including a page on how to set up layouts. Find it here: http://wiki.logos.com/Layouts__.
Logos Tip #2 – Learn to Create Layouts from Logos Wiki A layout consists of books and resources opened in a certain organization for quick access of tools. Use layouts to quickly open a selection of tools and resources for certain tasks. For example, set a layout for Bible reading, for language
Logos Tip #3 – Access Account Page form Home Page Going back to the Home Page, click on the user name and it takes you to your account page at http:// www.Logos.com. Here a user can check things like their credit balance, if they have one, recommended resource, mobile devices, description of the user, orders, subscriptions, wish lists and more.
Christian Computing® Magazine
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Logos Tip #4 – Change Settings for Better Perfor- sages. I also use the Exegetical and Passage Guides a mance lot, so I put buttons for those on the toolbar. Getting back to the Program Settings from the Tools menu, changing a few of these makes the If you learn from this series of articles, then let program work better for you. For example, maybe me know on Twitter (@kapurcell) or Google+ (http:// you go to a school that uses APA Style for citations in gplus.to/kevinpurcell) and share these with others uspapers. Select it in settings. They also offer Chicago, ing. Just a note about Google+. I’ve directed many to MLA and more. It’s under Citation Style. my old G+ account with kapurcell instead of kevLook through the list to change any of the other inpurcell. Please stop using the link above from now settings. For example, I turn off the Play Sounds item on. Here’s our first set of Bible software tips focusbecause I don’t want Logos starting up with the aning on Logos. noying little tune that distracts people around me at the coffee shop. Maybe you like it, so keep it on or turn it back on. Other people like to turn off the Use Internet for faster performance when connected to a get your free demo dial-up network. This might also www.servantpc.com/ccmag be a good reason to set when the program can automatically 800-773-7570 download updates. Schedule this under Automatically Download Updates. Pick the times using the Manage your ministry with drop down boxes. Some don’t like the community features where they can see community notes, so they turn Track donations, Email Statements, them off under Show Community Manage: Small Groups, Classes, Attendance, Ratings and Show Community Visitor follow-up, Outreach and MORE! Tags.
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Logos Tip #5 – Customize the Toolbar The Logos 4 and 5 toolbars can use some customization. For example, I dragged my favorite Bibles to the toolbar just right of the Command box. I also will put a book on the toolbar if I’m in the middle of reading it. That way I can go back to it quickly. Features that you use often can find a place there. Open Documents and drag a category of new document to the toolbar and instead of clicking the menu and then the kind of document, just click that button. I put a Sentence Diagram button on mine because that’s one of the first things I do with wisdom or didactic pasChristian Computing® Magazine
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digital evangelism
Digital Evangelism with e-Sword (Part 2) Michael L White - mlwhite@parsonplace.com
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n the June issue of CCMAG, I discussed the value of using e-Sword’s Topic Notes editor for composing your weekly sermons and/or Sunday School or Bible Study lessons. If you missed it, you can read the archived issue at community.ccmag.com in the “Digital Evangelism Community” at your leisure, although you’ll need to be a subscriber to the community, of course. After my article was published in June, Rick Meyers, the developer for the e-Sword software, wrote to advise me of a better way to save and share Topic Notes files. I’ve addressed these points on my Website at www.parsonplace.com/mysermons.html, if you’re interested in reading about them. In this issue, however, I’ll discuss the value of using e-Sword’s Graphics Viewer for Sunday School, Bible Study, and practically any other type of Biblical instruction. I’ve used this feature to print some of the charts and maps for both a Sunday School class I’ve taught and a weekly Bible Study I’ve taught. Although I also displayed them on a screen using a digital projector connected to my laptop, there’s really no substitute for having Christian Computing® Magazine
something tangible to hold in your hand and study over, as opposed to merely gazing at a computer or projector screen. To access e-Sword’s Graphics Viewer, you must first install at least one graphical resource. You can download many of these for free from within eSword. Just choose the resources you wish from the Download menu. There are some paid resources, including Bibles, books, and other resources designed for e-Sword which you can buy as well, if you like. I spent several years using strictly the free resources that are available for e-Sword until just two or three years ago when I decided to buy some additional Bible versions (including the NKJV and NASB, which I use frequently, and the Complete Jewish July 2013
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Bible, which I use occasionally for comparison), plus Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, and a few other resources. I also have my eye on Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, which I intend to buy eventually. Once you’ve installed all of the graphical resources you wish to use, click on the Graphics Viewer icon, located at the right-hand side of the e-Sword main toolbar, or just choose “Graphics Viewer…” from the Tools menu. After the Graphics Viewer starts, it will display as a “floater” window apart from e-Sword’s main window. Based on whichever graphical components you have installed, you can pick what you want to view from the drop-down menu in the pane at the right side of the viewer. As a minimum, I recommend the American Bible Society maps, the Classic Bible Maps, Larkin’s Book of Charts, and the Bible Timelines components, though installing all of the available components would be useful to you at some point. For instance, the CIA World Factbook has some especially insightful information about practically every nation on the globe, and NASA’s Satellite Images are simply stunning. Since the Bible maps, Larkin’s charts, and the Bible Timelines contain content that is particularly useful for Bible study, I will focus on those for now. One really good thing about the maps is that you can print and distribute them to your class members to help them identify locations and gauge distances, such as when Abram left Ur to travel to the Promised Land by way of Haran or when Jesus travelled around during His earthly ministry or when Paul embarked on his three missionary journeys. These are tremendous visual aids when trying to convey geographical facts; they truly make a Bible story come to life. While most of Larkin’s charts and the Bible timelines may not fit on standard sizes of paper without making them difficult to read (and you have to use the “Fit Graphic” option on e-Sword’s Print Preview screen to do that), you can still try printing some of them on Legal paper (8.5” x 14”) or even larger sizes of paper if you can obtain it and if it will fit in your printer. Perhaps you can encourage your class members to get their own copy of Christian Computing® Magazine
e-Sword with these graphical components installed in order to take full advantage of these great learning tools. Of course, if you or your church or other organization can afford a digital projector and screen, you can connect the projector to a laptop computer with e-Sword installed on it with all of these various components and show them to the entire class at once, providing your class size is able to accommodate such a setting. Unfortunately, the larger the class or the greater the distance the screen is from the viewers, the more difficult it will be for everyone to clearly distinguish points on a map, chart, or timeline. A good laser pointer may help, however, so that even if members can’t distinguish a point on a map, they can follow the red laser light as you move it from one point to another to identify the locations you’re referencing. However you choose to use these graphical tools, they are a great asset to any classroom. I highly recommend them. With a variety of other graphical components to install into e-Sword, your options are seemingly endless. In next month’s issue I will discuss using eSword’s dictionaries and commentaries components. These tools can greatly enhance your knowledge and understanding of any sermon topic or Bible lesson, so don’t miss it! Michael L. White is the founder and Managing Editor of Parson Place Press, an independent Christian publishing house in Mobile, Alabama. His book Digital Evangelism: You Can Do It, Too! (Parson Place Press, 2011) is available wherever books are sold. Visit his Website at books.parsonplace.com for a list of his other books and articles.
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Christian Computing® Magazine • www.rdsadvantage.com • 800.337.6328 •July 2013 rds@rdsadvantage.com 405.840.5177
the power and the danger
Pebble
By Russ McGuire - russ.mcguire@gmail.com
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n the past couple of weeks, three events have had me considering buying a Pebble watch. I had registered at the Pebble website back in December. A couple of weeks ago I got an e-mail letting me know that the Pebble would soon be available at Best Buy. Then I got another e-mail letting me know that the backlog was down enough I could now order a Pebble through their website. Then, this week I attended the MobileBeat conference in San Francisco and almost every discussion worked its way around to the topic of wearable computing, of which the Pebble is one of the most high profile examples. What is Pebble? The Pebble website says this: “Pebble is the first watch built for the 21st century. It’s infinitely customizable, with beautiful downloadable watchfaces and useful internet-connected apps. Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, alerting you with a silent vibration to incoming calls, emails and messages. While designing Pebble, we strove to create a minimalist yet fashionable product that seamlessly blends into everyday life.” Christian Computing® Magazine
Pebble is the most successful “smart watch” to date. In fact, at the time of its introduction, the Pebble was the most successful Kickstarter campaign ever. In part because of Pebble’s success, Apple, Samsung, and Google are all rumored to be working on smart watches, and there are other competing products already on the market. As I mentioned above, smart watches fit into the broader category of “wearable computing.” A few months ago I wrote about Google Glass – probably the most controversial example yet of July 2013
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wearable computing – and in fact at MobileBeat, several participants were walking around wearing their Google Glass. (It was a little unnerving – are they recording me? Are they searching the web for information about me?) The most common forms of wearable computing today are fitness trackers like the Jawbone Up, the Nike Fuelband, and the various Fitbit products. Amongst smart watches, there are a few different approaches. The Pebble strongly leverages the smartphone itself through a Bluetooth connection. The Pebble can be customized and even run some simple applications, but mostly it relies on a (wirelessly) connected smartphone for sensors and information. Competing products with a similar approach include the Meta Watch and the Cookoo. The main advantage of this approach is long battery life (by smartphone standards – up to about a week). The second category is represented by products like the Sony SmartWatch, the AGENT, and Motorola’s MotoACTV. These are full computing platforms on your wrist with development environments, powerful graphical displays, and often a touch-screen for full interactivity. These tend to be big, bulky, and power hungry (don’t expect much more than a day of battery life), but they let you embrace your tech geekiness to the fullest. The third major category are watches with sensors built in, primarily for health and fitness monitoring. The most prominent example is the Nike+ SportWatch, but I’m most impressed with the Basis, which has 9 different sensors for tracking motion, heartrate, skin temperature, and perspiration. Christian Computing® Magazine
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What is good about smart watches? Nothing screams tech cred like a smart watch. How could anyone question your technology awareness and knowledge when you’re wearing such geeky fashion? These practical accessories can help us in projecting the technology leadership role that we play in our ministries. However, we do have to overcome the stereotypes we face as technology leaders, and smart watches can truly help. Some might say that technology leaders struggle with basic social graces. They might say that we can’t look them in the eye and carry on a normal conversation because we’re too busy looking at our various screens. Of course, such critics fail to realize how social we are being by staying fully connected to our online social networks of various flavors. Most smart watches will alert you of incoming texts, tweets, and posts, meaning that with a simple glance at your watch you can satisfy your connectivity urge while still carrying on a polite face-to-face conversation. Some might also characterize us as a pasty and pudgy lot from a lack of sunshine and exercise. Most smart watches are designed to encourage physical activity. For example, the Basis encourages us to adopt reasonable fitness habits that are achievable even by the mousebound. And of course, we can still stay connected through various apps while taking that short walk through the neighborhood. What is dangerous about smart watches? As with any technology that connects us more into the big databases in the cloud, we should be aware of what information is being collected and how it might be used. A few years ago a site launched called “Please Rob Me” which used location information from social networks to identify when people weren’t home. Thankfully the site has been transformed into an educational site on the dangers of information sharing, but the danger it points to hasn’t gone away. I try to be careful to not post that I’m away from home, but rather post when I return home about the great trip I just took. Smart watches make it possible to share in real time where we are and what we’re doing. But, they all seem to require you to actively share that information (don’t do it).
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The additional information gathered by some of these products could also be used in ways that you don’t intend. What if insurance companies, or the government, had a record of your exercise patterns, your heartrate around the clock, or how much you’re perspiring in different circumstances? That might be valuable information for them, but it might also be used against you. Again, be careful how you share this information. As Jesus warned “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” (Matthew 10:16-18) It is my hope and prayer that these articles on the power and danger of technology will encourage you in your daily walk with Christ. Whether it is smart watches, the printing press, radio, television, personal computers, the Internet, the Cloud, smartphones, or augmented reality, new technologies continue to advance our ability to know God and to serve Him, wherever we go. Russ McGuire is an executive for a Fortune 100 company and the founder/co-founder of three technology start-ups. His latest entrepreneurial venture is CXfriends (http://cxfriends.com), a social network for Christian families which is being built and run by four homeschooled students under Russ’ direction.
Christian Computing® Magazine
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ministry communication
Church Communication Advice to Church Planters (and churches of all ages)
Yvon Prehn - yvon@effectivechurchcom.com
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robably one of the last things you want to worry about when starting a church is communications—but if you want your church to be strong from the start, it should be one of your first considerations. Christians are people of the Word—both the Word made flesh in Jesus and people of a very big Book that our Lord expects us to learn and obey. Christianity is a content-intensive religion and you need clear, complete communication of essential truth to grow people in the faith. Following are 5 additional reasons why effective communication is so important:
#1: Our culture no longer has a Christian mindset. All the philosophical babble about Post-Modernism etc. boils down to the reality that the background of Biblical, Christian culture, morality, and stories is no longer part of the mindset of our world. This is not a cause for “oh, isn’t it awful” hand-wringing and working to vote in corporate morality. What it means is that a crucial part of knowing your audience, if you are truly a church plant reaching out to the unchurched and not simply robbing other churches with a more upbeat service, means understanding that your audience has no idea what you are talking about when you talk about Bible stories and church behavior that are most likely second-nature to you if you grew up in church. Because of that …. Christian Computing® Magazine
#2: You have to explain everything to unchurched people. This is where prayer, skill, creativity, and a lot of hard work in communication come in. You don’t want to explain things in a wooden, talking-down way, but as a natural part of everything you do. For example, it’s vitally important to get information from visitors and one way to do that is through a Connection Card. To get the best response, you need to intentionally invite people to fill out the cards, in an upbeat, welcoming way. Here is a free ebook that explains this in more detail: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/53563 you can also download a free Kindle version here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&fieldkeywords=yvon%20prehn%20Kindle July 2013
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In addition to Connection Cards, pay special attention to your Church Bulletin and website. Be sure your church bulletin explains what is going on and then links to the website for more information. For more information on how to do these two things, this book explains and gives examples of how to make the most of the first piece of Christian literature many people see: your Church Bulletin. http://www. effectivechurchcom.com/2012/06/ebook-are-printedbulletins-still-needed-in-church/ The print bulletin can then give people links to your website where you can explain what you church is all about in more detail. For example, suggest visitors go to the Visitor’s Video section on the website. Have the lead pastor talk into the camera and welcome them. Have him or her talk about why they started the church and what is important to them. Have other videos where your staff explains what they do and their story of coming to know Jesus. Have a section that explains what communion is all about and why we sing songs (the idea of singing to worship is new to many who simply sing to feel better). A few notes on video production: anything will work to record them—these don’t have to be fancy. PLEASE, don’t try to be funny—this is not junior high school and amateur funny is awkward and uncomfortable to watch. You don’t have to be super serious, just be yourself, but don’t think about yourself and talk to the visitor as if you were face-to-face. Remember you represent Jesus. #3: Keep in mind the limitations of social media. Social media can update, give people a sense of what is going on in the church, and connect people who already know and care about each other. For a newcomer, it’s like looking at a photo album without knowing who the people are. Social media is just that—social and not particularly informative about the Christian life. If you aren’t part of a group yet, you want information more than interaction. Make sure your website is as good a resource as the one for any product or company you checked out recently. As an exercise in what your church website should contain, Google “adventure tours.” They don’t simply have social media links—they are there, but they are only a tiny part of the website that tells you all about what the company does, who is in charge, what you can expect, what it costs, who to contact for questions. The Christian life is the greatest adventure of all eternity—and your website should reflect that. #4: Evaluate, don’t estimate communication effectiveness. As your church grows in numbers, communication will get more challenging because the days of “everybody knows” will be in the past. As you grow, honest evaluaChristian Computing® Magazine
tion of communications is vital because we so easily can deceive ourselves. When a lot is going on we can think we are successful in communication when our actual percentage response for what we are promoting may be in a steep decline. This most often happens in discipleship training. For example, in the early days of a church plant if 10 people show up for small group out of 30 on Sunday, it is exciting. When you are up to over 300 in Sunday morning attendance and only about 60 people are involved in small groups, yes, you doubled in numbers for small group attendance, but the percentage of involvement declined. What worked with a small group may need to be modified for a larger group. #5: Keep growing and learning about communications. This website has many resources that will help you. Take time, explore, read, and watch the free videos. You have been entrusted with the Words of Eternal Life. Continuously work hard to communicate them well. For more on every area of church communications, go to: http://www.effectivechurchcom.com
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nick at church
Church WiFi Strategies Nick Nicholaou - nick@mbsinc.com
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any churches offer or want to offer WiFi throughout their campuses. It’s a good way to serve your congregation, empower your team, and even attract larger events to your campus. There are strategies worth considering— some technical and some with legal implications.
Starting At The Beginning I like to address this topic as it enters the building, so let’s start with bandwidth. We’re often asked how much bandwidth is needed. Our answer is almost always, “As much as you can reasonably get!” The reason is that if you offer public WiFi, it needs to be robust or people will complain. In fact, they’ll complain more about poor bandwidth than about not having any access! So get as much as you can. When shopping for Internet connectivity, or bandwidth, check all the potential vendors in your area. That includes telephone companies, television cable providers, and may even include businesses Christian Computing® Magazine
that have fiber optic cable running next to your property who may be willing to let you use some of their bandwidth! Firewalls & Filtering Once the Internet enters your building, there are a couple of important considerations: • Firewall. It’s important to protect your system from would-be hackers, whether they are people or Internet apps (called bots). Putting a good firewall at the entrance to your building is a good way to protect your church. We recommend SonicWALL July 2013
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firewalls because they’re a good match of capabilities, services, and price-point for churches. They have an annual subscription fee that is wise to keep current because it helps make certain the firewall can recognize new kinds of threats that want to cause harm. • Filtering. It’s important to filter Internet content. This is definitely true for public WiFi access on your campus; it’s also true for your staff’s protection. Again, SonicWALL to the rescue. Their subscription includes filtering, and is easily configurable to meet your church’s needs. Two SSIDs I alluded in the points above to public and private WiFi access. This is a strategy that works well in providing the services people need while also protecting your network resources (servers, data, printers, etc). We usually set up two SSIDs (an SSID is the public name of a wireless network) configured as follows: • Public SSID: This WiFi connection is usu-
ally password protected (more on that in the next section) and allows those connected to it to access the Internet; they have no access to your network data, printers, or servers. Because all Internet activity goes through the firewall, it is filtered. • Private SSID: This WiFi connection is always password protected and only available to staff because it allows access to the Internet AND to your network data, printers, and servers. Public SSID Password Protection We recommend password protecting the public SSID from those not involved at the church who might like to piggyback on your bandwidth. The password can be published in the weekly bulletin or projected for the congregation, and should be changed monthly. This sounds like a hassle, and it is! But there are significant legal ramifications if this isn’t done! We learned recently of a church in Missouri whose public WiFi was not password protected. Someone was downloading and distributing child pornography over the church’s unsecured WiFi
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Internet connection. When the authorities were investigating the child porn case, they identified the church’s IP address as the one through which the porn was distributed and subpoenaed the church’s computers and servers for analysis. The authorities can keep the computers for 2-3 months before determining they are clean and can be returned. That effectively puts the church out of business from an IT perspective! The key points here are: • Secure public WiFi access. • Be sure all Internet content is being effectively filtered based on type of content. • Have an off-site backup of the church’s data as a disaster recovery/ business continuity plan. (For more on a backup strategy, see my article available online for free at http:// www.mbsinc.com/back-itup-heres-how.) Wireless Access Points (WAPs) There are two WAP specs we use: • High Density. This is needed when you have more than 800 people in a room trying to connect to the Internet via your WAPs. For high density WAPs, we recommend Ruckus. • Low & Medium Density. This spec is appropriately less expensive, and works well in rooms where there are less than 800 trying to connect. For low and medium density WAPs, we recommend SonicWALL SonicPoints. In both cases, the physical placement and configuration of the WAPs is critical. I hope you found this helpful Christian Computing® Magazine
as you design your first WiFi system or re-evaluate your existing one. WiFi is a great way to serve, and with some strategy, can do so very well. Nick Nicholaou is president of MBS, an IT consulting firm specializing in church and ministry computer networks, VoIP, and private cloud hosted services. You can reach Nick at nick@mbsinc. com, and may want to check out his firm’s website (www.mbsinc.com) and his blog at http://ministryit.blogspot.com.
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