Part of the Glue

Our student ministry recently switched from tatango.com to txtsignal.com because of increasing prices and difficulties with their interface.  We love txtsignal.com and have only been using it for a little more than a week.

Here are  the things we love about txtsignal.com

1. ability to create multiple groups
2. ability to create multiple teams within each group
3. unlimited admin users
4. web links and email addresses for each group or team
*this means group leaders don't even have to be admins to send txt messages they can do it by themselves
5. its cheap and cost effective compared to most other texting programs out there
6. clean and easy to use interface.
7. discount for non-profits
*just email them and ask

We are in the process of using a new tool called Send Out Cards for our youth ministry.  This great product allows you to upload a database of contacts, design a card and click send all in a couple of clicks.  What’s great about this service is you don’t have to buy the cards, stamps and and worry about delivery…..they handle all that for you. SendOutCards prints it, stuffs it and mails it, all for less than a greeting card at the store.

Uses for ministry purposes:
*sending a card to a student you missed them at your last event
*sending a card to students on their birthdays
*sending a thank-you to leaders in your ministry after an all-night lockin

We finally gave in and started to send out a monthly parent email using constant contact to all the parents in our student ministry.  I was really amazed how easy it really was to create the email using the online editor.  It took me several hours because I was creating custom graphics, however it should be very simple next time because all the emails will be there and I will only have minor changes to make with the graphics. Consider using tools like constant contact when you want to include graphics and pictures in emails and don’t have the time to do it from scratch.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit with Rob Shiflet, one of the directors with Liberty Christians’s new online school.  After a lot of research and coordination, Rob decided to partner with Liberty Christian and offer online classes to students practically anywhere.  In this online enviornment, teachers will instruct via webcam and special teleconferencing software in a new and very interactive way.  After hearing about this idea and seeing the demo first hand I was really blown away at the potential this online education really has to offer.

Online education of this kind would be ideal for students in the following areas:
1. Students that don’t live close to a private Christian school and desire to attend one
2. Students that attend a private school but are unable to enroll in a certain class due to inadequate number of students enrolled in a certain class
3. Students that are home school that would like to take certain subjects that may be too difficult for their parents to teac

etc….
For more information about the program click HERE or to watch the newscast click HERE.

Tuggle, a youth ministry management web based software now allows for paypal integration.  Tuggle boasts that they’ve created a management tool that is so fun to use, people often mistake it for one of those wildly popular social networks. Before tuggle’s system had sign ups but no way to collect payment.  Now with the simple paypal integration ministries/organizations and schools can connect their accounts to this system and allow their members to pay right there and then.

Below are some screenshots of these new features.

When it comes to using technology in a youth ministry it can get expensive real fast real quick. Below I have listed 3 affordable solutions in my opinion that youth ministries of any size should consider using.

By far the best way to plan and organize your services is through Planning Center Online. This service allows you to schedule people, upload files, and have a place were multiple people can organize the content for your next worship gathering.

Pro Presenter in my opinion is the best option even for smaller venues when it comes to displaying songs and media on a screen. Pro Presenter gives you the ability to key words over moving backgrounds without a lot of lag.  You don’t even have to have a switcher to do this when you use Pro Presenter. Oh and did I mention they just released an app for the iphone.

Tuggle is a youth ministry management tool that is so much fun you might mistake it for a social network.  Tuggle allows you to build a safe online community and have the tools to really connect with your members.