The Open Source Ministry Project

Dear friends

Internet Evangelism Day for this year is set at 27 April 2008.

I have prepared the news release below. It highlights both Internet Evangelism Day's new church site evaluation tool, as well as the date for this year's IE Day. The advantage of combining them together is that news outlets tend to not want to publicize an April event in January. But, if churches don't get many weeks of advance notice, they are unlikely to want to arrange anything.

Although I have put the news release out quite widely, it must have only touched a tiny fraction of potential Christian publications or other outlets. In any case, we have no publicity budget. I hope you don't mind me asking ... I am just wondering if you might be able to help by sending this news release to any editors of Christian print magazines, mission magazines, radio editors, leaders and opinion formers, or email publications and blogs that you know personally, either within your own organization or beyond it.

These things always work better across relationships - and you will know editors, publications, blogs, that maybe no one else does.

If you also have any opportunity to blog about IE Day, or the church tool, or link to them in any way, that would also be greatly appreciated!

Blessings and grateful thanks

Tony
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For immediate release

New Advance for Church Websites
Free Church Site Evaluations Now Available Online
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Summary
Churches can now receive a free customized 15-page report about their websites, enabling them to develop strategies to reach outsiders in their communities.

And this year's international web outreach focus day - Internet Evangelism Day - will be used by churches around the world on Sunday 27 April 2008.
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"How can our church website help us reach out into our community?" Churches often find it difficult to know how to build sites that will engage with outsiders in their area.

A new online tool has been released by Internet Evangelism Day, which provides churches with a free 15-page evaluation report. Users assess their own website by answering 55 simple questions in the tool questionnaire. Their customized report is immediately displayed online, ready to print or save. Its recommendations are tailored with specific practical suggestions, based on the questions that were ticked. View the design tool here:
InternetEvangelismDay.com/design

A church site which has been prioritized for non-Christian visitors can be remarkably effective in reaching the community. "Week in, week out, more visitors turn up at our church on a Sunday because of the website, than anything else," writes one growing church in London UK.

Church leaders have welcomed this new resource:

"This competent evaluation tool and rating service provides a valuable service to churches and Christian ministries that will help them strengthen their effectiveness in outreach through the Internet." - Dr. Sterling Huston, Director, North American Ministries, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

"Most church websites are not evangelistic. The new Church Website Design Tool can help rectify this problem. This is a wonderful tool." - Dr. Bill Gordon, Evangelism Response Center, North American Mission Board.

"There is no silver bullet for a great ministry site. However, this checklist is an invaluable tool to identify critical areas for improvement. Every church should study this regularly and act on it!" - Gary McClure, LifeWay Ministries.

This Evaluation Tool is just one of a range of pages at www.InternetEvangelismDay.com that help Christians learn to use the Web to reach the world. Internet Evangelism Day also encourages churches to hold a web awareness focus day on or near 27 April 2008, to explore this huge potential. Their site offers free downloads (PowerPoint, video clips, drama scripts and handouts) so that churches can create a custom program of any length from two minutes to an hour. "I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day," says Dr. John Stott.

Website: www.InternetEvangelismDay.com

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Internet Evangelism Day is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition, a group of major ministries involved in web ministry, based at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton.

Interviews available: InternetEvangelismDay.com/publicity
Photos available: InternetEvangelismDay.com/photos
Recommended photo for this item: InternetEvangelismDay.com/churchphoto
Additional articles - ready-made material and MP3s: InternetEvangelismDay.com/articles
Leaders supporting IE Day: InternetEvangelismDay.com/supporting


For immediate release
More information: Tony Whittaker
Contact email: InternetEvangelismDay.com/feedback
Contact phone: +44 1283 702334 (GMT office hours)