MinistryDownloads.com
MinistryDownloads.com® is a resource site created by Terrace Crawford to share resources that he’s curated over a 20-year ministry span. The resources are beta-tested, ready-to-go, affordable, and totally downloadable. There’s something for every church/ministry leader, including (but not limited to): Senior Pastors, Youth Leaders, Children’s Leaders, Small Group Leaders, and more!
Now Terrace Crawford, founder of the site, has invited other leaders to contribute their resources to the site and he’s uploading new products every week! The best part is not only are those who contribute to the site helping resource other leaders, but they also get to share in the profits earned from the site! Each contributor earns 50% commission on the sales of their products!
Additionally, every contributor is an affiliate of the ministry site, so members/contributors can earn additional income just by sharing about the site (using their unique Affiliate link), even if their products do not sell initially!
FAST FACTS: MINISTRYDOWNLOADS.COM
MinistryDownloads.com® was founded by Terrace Crawford in April 2017 as a resource hub for today’s Ministry leaders.
MinistryDownloads.com offers resources for Senior Pastors, Youth Leaders, Children’s Leaders and Small Group Leaders, among others.
EVERY contributor to the site within the first 2 weeks of the site launch has earned profits from the sale of their products!
Contributors earn profits through royalties earned on the sale of their products and can also earn income by signing up as a registered Affiliate of MinistryDownloads.com®.
MinistryDownloads.com has several corporate advertisers currently, including: LifeWay Christian Resources, Youth Ministry Partners, and Group Publishing.
So… what are you waiting for? Go to MinistryDownloads.com NOW!
Creative Missions 2017: Bozeman
Excitement is in the air as my application to participate in this years #CreativeMissions trip to Bozeman, Montana has been graciously accepted. (I have made the cut!!)
I will be 1 of 30 Church Communication “Creatives” that will have the opportunity to help under-resourced churches create sustainable solutions that engage their communities with the Gospel. My area of expertise will be WordPress, web, and social media.
Would you help me out and be willing to take 1 or 2 avenues? Both are important and vital.
#BigSky #BigGod #BozemanOrBust
Facebook is finally making a ‘Dislike’ button
After years of refusing to build one, the social network is finally going to give us a way to express something other than a “Like.”
Brace yourselves: the Facebook “Dislike” button is coming.
Despite previously saying the social network wasn’t planning to build a “dislike” button, CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed during a Tuesday Q&A session that his company has indeed been working on one.
“I think people have asked about the dislike button for many years,” Zuckerberg said. “Today is a special day because today is the day I can say we’re working on it and shipping it.”
The exact form a “Dislike” button may take is still up in the air. “What [users] really want is the ability to express empathy,” Zuckerberg added. “Not every moment is a good moment.”
Facebook has long shied away from building a “Dislike” button over concerns it would invite rampant negativity. “That isn’t what we’re here to build in the world,” Zuckerberg said.
Consider building your businesses around your domain name.
In June, Shaun McGowan’s business, Beep.com.au, was turning over $60 million. Five months later the company has grown by 60%, now exceeding $100 million in turnover, through one simple change – the domain name.
McGowan purchased a new, premium domain name CarLoans.com.au in June and since then the business’s click throughs have increased, its marketing spend has reduced and turnover has increased by $40 million.
Speaking to SmartCompany,McGowan says the change has made a “massive” impact.
“There is a natural assumption the biggest, oldest companies have the premium generic domain names,” he says.
“In terms of the domain name investment, the name paid itself back within four months.
McGowan says the benefits of the new name have been multi-tiered, but the number one change has been people’s perception of the business.
“People assume it’s the biggest and the best car loans business now,” he says.
“The benefit of a premium domain name is its very descriptive – people know straight away what your business does.”
McGowan took almost two years to acquire the name from a gentleman who bought it 15 years ago and says it’s since improved both the front and back-end of the business.
“We noticed the impact the very next day. The moment we launched CarLoans, we had a 35% drop in our AdWord spend the next day,” he says.
“A lot of our inquiries are driven through AdWords, but we’re now getting the same number of leads for much less. Our click-through rate went up and our conversion rate alone has increased by 30%.”
The impact of premium domain names on online advertising click-throughs seen by McGowan was also noted in a UK study by Memorable Domains.
The report found “ads featuring a generic domain name with an exact match to the product (ElectricBicylces.co.uk) performed significantly better than identical ads featuring an alternative generic (YourBikes.co.uk) or non-generic (InAHurry.co.uk) domain”.
The study found ElectricBicycles.co.uk ads produced 45% more click throughs than YourBikes.co.uk and 105% more click throughs than InAHurry.co.uk ads.
McGowan says while premium domain names can be expensive, it’s a worthwhile investment.
“Our inquiry rate increased massively. The cost-per-click came down and we catapulted through the search engine rankings, and that was just our front-end improvements,” he says.
“We’ve also noticed when the sales consultants are talking to the customers our name now is now seen as the authority in car loans because of its natural association with CarSales. Our settlements and conversion rates from us speaking to customers increase, customers would give us more information from the outset and they’d speak to us on the phone for longer.”
McGowan has also capitalised on people’s natural association of the name with CarSales by designing the CarLoans website and its processes to be similar to those found on the CarSales site.
McGowan says people should consider building their businesses around domain names.
“The problem most have in today’s world is they decide on their business and then go looking for a name. They should find the domain name and then build the business around it,” he says.
“When you can, you should invest in the best possible name and spend the most money that you can afford. Relating it back to the retail world, think about it like a store location. Having a premium domain name is the equivalent of buying the best shop on the best street with the best foot traffic.”
originally published November 5, 2013 : http://www.smartcompany.com.au/technology/online/34431-from-beep-to-carloans-how-a-domain-name-change-resulted-in-a-40-million-turnover-boost.html#
Creative Missions 2014 : Baltimore
WHAT IS IT?
“A missions trip where church creatives can put the skills God has given them to use by helping churches communicate better.”
It can be best summed with by my good friend – Jon Rogers …
No, we didn’t build a church building or construct an orphanage. No we didn’t run a VBS or witness on the streets. We have created sustainable solutions for churches to effectively communicate an ultimate message of God’s never-ending love for each community these churches are involved in.
Creative Missions pairs teams of church communication professionals, creatives, and techies with under-resourced churches to create sustainable solutions that both better engage and communicate the gospel to their communities.
Burdens have been relieved and results are evident throughout the 45 churches served throughout Albany, NW Arkansas, and Anchorage.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
- Creative Missions is not associated with a denomination. We help evangelical churches of many denominations and in different regions.
- Our goal is not to just provide a “quick fix,” but rather educate while on site and point churches to resources for sustainability.
Last week I found out I was selected, and I’m honored for the opportunity to serve in Baltimore for my 3rd consecutive year from May 17-23rd!
Teams were chosen based on what skills they have to offer and what needs there are to be met. The interest and advertisement of #CreativeMissions has grown since 2012 and there were only 30 slots available for Baltimore among all applicants.
I’d like to ask you for help in order to make this trip a success. Would you partner with me and other Creative Missionaries?
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
- Pray: Pray for the churches in Baltimore that we we will be helping. Pray for the church leaders we will be teaching. Pray for the people of Baltimore to know Jesus Christ.
- Financial Support (three different ways):
#1 – The trip: I need to raise $450 to cover my participation fee. This covers ground transportation once we’re there, lodging, workspace, meals, and production costs.
#2 – Getting there and back: I’d also love support for plane tickets. If you’d like to give in that way, you can visit my Fundly page.
#3 – Various: We still need monetary donations, printing, sound/tech components, stage design, ProPresenter licenses, gift cards (gas, office supply stores, Radio Shack), and more.
More about Baltimore and why we’re going there:
Baltimore is a very influential city. There are 15 colleges/universities (200,000 students) and 19 hospitals. However, recent numbers are eye–opening in terms of violence, poverty, and fatherlessness.
- Often found on list of violent cities – more murders than calendar days in January 2014
- 22% of the population lives below the poverty line.
- 58% of homes are led by single mothers.
Baltimore is in desperate need of the gospel.
- 52% of the population isnʼt affiliated with any religious body.
- Less than 10% of the population is affiliated with an evangelical church – the number of evangelical Christians in Baltimore cannot fill the Ravenʼs football stadium.
Creative Missions will be serving alongside Baltimore churches, helping them engage and spread the gospel, believing it has the power to change their city and influence the world.
WHY BALTIMORE; “CHARM CITY” ?
After spending the first three years in mostly rural and suburban areas, weʼre taking this party to the urban center. Thirty missionaries spread across five teams are supporting 15-20 churches.
Baltimore is a very influential city. There are 15 colleges/universities (200,000 students) and 19 hospitals. Johns Hopkins, in fact, is known as the nationʼs best hospital.
Baltimore is also rich in historical importance with past creative residents including Edgar Allan Poe, Billie Holiday, and Francis Scott Key.
However, recent numbers are eye-opening in terms of violence, poverty, and fatherlessness.
- Often found on list of violent cities – more murders than calendar days in January 2014
- 22% of the population lives below the poverty line.
- 58% of homes are led by single mothers.
Baltimore is in desperate need of the gospel.
- 52% of the population isnʼt affiliated with any religious body.
- Less than 10% of the population is affiliated with an evangelical church – the number of evangelical Christians in Baltimore cannot fill the Ravenʼs football stadium.
Creative Missions will be serving alongside Baltimore churches, helping them engage and spread the gospel, believing it has the power to change their city and influence the world.
Furthermore, Creative Missions provides me the opportunity to use my talents in the ways that best serve the Church. Missions is all about making the gospel of Jesus Christ known- how you do that is up to you, whether that’s building a house, evangelizing in neighborhoods, or helping a church get on its feet. I am happy to use my gifts to help a church on the communications/technology side of things so they can focus more on their communities.
Our Plan of Attack:
Weʼre building five teams to accomplish a three–pronged strategy.
- Big Focus Churches: Churches just short of knocking it out of the ballpark, but lack resources/budget to get there. These are also churches that have influence over other area churches. They’ll have a dedicated team for a majority of the week.
- Other churches: Less time spent – tend to 1-3 top needs and move on to the next.
- Workshops: Several churches will host workshops throughout the week and invite volunteers and other churches/businesses to attend. Teams will lead these.
Follow Along!
I’ll be posting updates about my trip here, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also like Creative Missions on Facebook and follow the hashtag #CreativeMissions on Tagboard to see ongoing updates from everyone!
We are made ONE.
When we become Christians through faith and baptism into Christ, we are made one with all other Christians around the world. Race, gender, and social status are gone. All that’s left is One, the One, Jesus. Our lives are his and thus are connected to each other. Our destination is the same, heaven. Our family is the church. No barriers. No closed doors. We are one.
#CreativeMissions; Day 1 Takeaway
Day 1 takeaway:
Tomorrow officially starts CreativeMissions 2013. To say I am beyond excited is an extreme underestimate of the lack of sleep and the many carbonated beverages I have had to get me from North Carolina to Alaska.
Today was a breath-taking exploration of Anchorage, Girdwood and Whittier Alaska. Incredible views and amazing #CreativeMissions Instagram feeds are already capturing the beauty that our great creator, God, made in the last frontier of Alaska from the team on the ground.
As we prepare for the week ahead of us, we had a great social event today over pizza and got to hear from an Alaska church pastor. I am always in awe of the stories being told as we get the fortunate opportunity to interact with the pastors on the frontline and serving the local communities. Albany, New York; Northwest Arkansas; Anchorage, Alaska is going to be no different. We are partaking of helping these pastors share their stories with the masses (the connections we have within the “Creative Community”) and the real purpose behind why we continue to do CreativeMissions. The purpose and picture is far greater than us.
What was most influential today during our brief introduction to the city of Anchorage is the critical mission we need to have for the week ahead in properly assessing the needs of the churches. There is a critical question we need to ask to effectively serve these pastors, the churches, and the unchurched – “What is your Alaska story?” You know, there is an actual story behind why we do and why we do not choose to take time to talk with those we encounter on a day basis. I have been learning this more and more over the past 9 months of this journey that God has brought me and my family down; not what is my “Alaska story” but what story am I creating with my life, and more importantly what story am I sharing with those I encounter? The stories we will hear this week will be beyond effectively communicating via a blog or pictures … it is something that we will never sufficiently communicate although we will all do our best. Every member of this year’s team take our position serious and this blog post will just be 1 of over a dozen to be made this week.
I just want to quickly share with you 1 takeaway that I think sets the tone for the week adequately, as we sit here at the Puffin Inn over a cup of coffee and open journals, is the comment made by Pastor Brent Williams of True North Anchorage,
“If you reach this one city (Anchorage), you will reach an entire state.”
Wow; powerful, insightful and my motivation as I end this post and look forward toward worship tomorrow.