Geeks and God Podcast

Well guys,

10 weeks on one topic is HUGE! You may want to break things up by doing some interviews or other topics every 3 or 4 weeks. Then again, that would just string along the topic. Hmmm...a round table would be nice. Skypecast is really cool and allows for a lot of people to be in on the same conversation at the same time. Handhelds are always a good topic. Blackberry vs. Windows Mobile vs. Palm (I'm a Blackberry fan myself but I've used many devices with all three platforms). Just brainstorming here...doesn't work as well when I'm typing.

John
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A Christian technology podcast
http://www.jesusgeek.info

I for one am looking forward for each episode on drupal. MF knows Im really looking forward to the installation part since he has been helping me on the side trying to get one up and running.

Some Christian websites like http://studylight.org/ have study material within their site. Such as lexicons, Bible dictionaries, concordances etc.. I would like to know how to set study resources like that within drupal. I think they are a great alternative for people who cant afford or dont have access to Bible study software.

There are a ton of things that smaller churches need to know pertaining to technology used in churches. The smaller churches are looking into creating their own videos, and projecting them in the services, as well as on the web. And if they are great, on a site that distributes and sells them. And how do you send that video signal to the projector? And in what format is it best done, and how far can each format go without an amplifier? What about to the "cry room"? What about hearing impaired solutions? typical system, or maybe an FM transmitter with some "walkmans"? And then there is the sermon cd reproduction and posting on line. I've done a bit of video work, but it isn't relevant here since I use a PC :) There are a ton of video editing solutions (NLE's) to choose from, some better than others. I have my preferences, but mileage may vary as per user.

Hey look, my first post!

How about this for a topic (granted you haven't already done it, I'm only 75% through the podcasts). Firefox is the only way to go, so do a show on why, including the top ten extensions (delicious, stumble upon it, a downloader, forecastfox, etc. I don't use themes, but you could hit them as well.

Another topic could be general add ons everyone should have. eg, I would be lost without RoboForm. And there is the vnp type stuff (I haven't gone there yet), screen recording software, mp3 rippers (yes there is more than iTunes out there - the audiophiles actually hate it), Skype, and the list goes on. Someone else mentioned solutions for web based donations, which is tough to find for cheap.

Just some ideas.

Chordinator
www.calvarycolorado.org

Lets talk about Bible study software. Coming from a Windows world to Mac recently I have looked into Bible study software for Windows, Mac, and linux. I currently have Logos for windows, but am waiting for the mac version to complete, about to purchase Accordance Bible software for Mac, but there are many others out there. To me they have been a life saver for study.
Heres a few
http://www.bibleworks.com/
http://logos.com/
http://accordancebible.com/
http://bibleocean.com/ (Web Based)
http://www.e-sword.net/
http://www.macsword.com/
http://biblelink.us/en/product...
http://www.quickverse.com/shop... ( Mac versions )
http://quickverse.com/shopfile... ( Windows versions )
http://www.gmpsoft.com/
http://www.zondervan.com/Cultu...

Probably a few more out there as well.

I'd be up for Drupal installments 11-20! I listened to 1-7 today! (I began today as a Drupal newbie and now…I'm a Drupal newbie with a whole lot of notes. Thanks!)

I've not yet heard your other episodes, maybe you covered this before but I'm wondering about “Good Church Site Content“?
• What info belongs on the homepage? Sunday service time & location. Contact info. What does not? Pastor's name(s), pictures of the building!
• What safety issues do churches need to worry about? Perhaps: Photo releases! Prayer requests for people outside the community (maybe first name/last initial). Listing single women's phone numbers. (Reverse lookup will provide an address.) Photos of young kids with readable nametags.
• Site structure can be really difficult to implement effectively. Obviously this depends on the organization's specifics, but can you roll out four or five great church site navigation models?
• "Christianese" terminology can turn-off, or at least confuse, non-believers. What terms are unclear and how should we rephrase? How do we alienate without even trying?
• I like your idea about letting the professionals do what they do best. What are some great resources/links a church site can implement?
• How do we extend the community a group of believers experiences to the greater www?
• Forums are likely today’s best community-building tools. What are the pros and cons of a church hosting their own, being salt and light in a “religious-neutral" forum or seeking out and engaging those most vocal about their hostility to Christianity? Can you provide tips for being appropriate, yet challenging, in all three scenarios?
• If drawing folks to a site is nothing more than offering compelling content, how can we capture the interest of the world around us?

Thanks!

NP

Hi,
Here are some suggestions:

1. Video on the web:
best practices, formats and compression tools

2. Accessibility:
How accessible should a church site be?

3. Mobile devices:
With the advent of the iPhone, should sites/churches start thinking about delivering content to mobile devices. If so, which ones?

4. eCommerce:
Opensource or packaged products? What is the best way to incorporate eCommerce features to a website.

5. To flash or not to flash:
what parts of a church website should not be flash built... particularly in areas of accessibility, and backend ease of content streams.

paul del signore

I just discovered you guys. And well... It's exciting to be around guys even geekier than me! I love the open source discussions, and for a developing geek, from a smallish church, it would be helpful for you guys to get us newbies started with some starter info.

What do you use for ...
graphic design/logos/
Video Editing
Audio Editing
Presentation Software
Lighting Controllers/technology
Web Design/Feeds/ podcasts

I really want to know if I'm making the best use of my time with the technology I have. I've discovered things like GIMP, and our church uses EZ worship, and I'd love to learn video editing, audio editing etc. I'm just a guy with a heart for worship, who wants to be most effective, in presenting emersive worship, and get people connected to our church on a limited budget (ok... not limited, but you can hear the ocean in my wallet). So what tools would you suggest to get started, what tutorials, what kind of training, etc.

Geek me out.

Peace,

Chris White
Worship Pastor
I could be normal, but why?

I've seen several questions on the forums that either pertain to portable churches, or would have different answers in a portable environment. How about a show that covers these topics?

Maybe you could get an interview with someone from Portable Church Industries in Troy, MI as part of the show.

I'm not affiliated with PCI, but I went to high school with their founder. I've been to a couple of churches in the area that are PCI clients, and I've been pretty impressed by their streamlining techniques.

Micah