Articles

VoIP is a hot topic of conversation at nearly every ministry conference these days!  VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol,  is what many think of as free phone calls over the Internet.  Television cable companies have begun advertising it to compete with telephone service providers, and now telephone service providers are offering it too!  VoIP sounds promising, but is it as good as it sounds?  Let’s look together at VoIP: what it is, its upsides and its downsides so you can determine if it is for you.

Who would have thought a dozen years ago that most of our ministry communication would be electronic!  Yet most of us now spend a large part of our day reading, writing, and responding to email— both within our organization and beyond. Does it sometimes feel overwhelming?  It does for me!  Do you sometimes wonder whether there are etiquette and style guidelines you should be aware of?  There are!

Ministries change computer systems and software for a variety of reasons.  Some of these are good, and some are wasteful.  What are some of the “right” reasons to change?

When churches change computer systems or software, they’re often surprised at the enormity of the task.  The time and costs often run over budget, and the transition often leaves a trail of unmet expectations.  With a little understanding of the process and some preplanning, however, these unmet expectations can be minimized and even avoided.

The advent of the website and the technology it involves has forced most organizations to react quickly to get something “up and running.”  As is true with most new technologies, best practice strategies follow their introduction based on lessons learned.  An issue we’re just beginning to put our finger on that can cost or save an organization tens— or even hundreds— of thousands is: Who is in charge of your website?

Charlie the Tuna® is, according to StarKist® (his "sponsor"), America's favorite tuna.  Growing up we saw Charlie left behind in the water time after time only to be told, "Sorry, Charlie!"  Too many are hearing that same kind of disappointing line these days because someone has "phished" (pronounced fished) their identity information and taken all their cash and assets before moving on. This has become the number one threat to consumers and financial institutions on the Internet.  What exactly is phishing?  How can we recognize it?  What can we do about it?