Church Web course available across the state

Because of more churches seeking to offer online ministry, eight workshops will be offered during 2006 on the topic Church Web Sites: Quick & Easy.

The first of eight identical events will be held March 21 at Shelby Baptist Association. Other dates include:

• April 11 — Coffee Baptist Association
• April 20 — Madison Baptist Association
• June 22 — First Baptist Church, Bay Minette
• July 18, Aug. 11 and Sept. 28 — Baptist Building in Montgomery
• Aug. 22 — Cherokee Baptist Association

Doug Rogers, communications coordinator at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM), said the workshops are being offered in response to increasing requests for help with church Web sites.

The workshops will help with both new Web sites and existing sites, said Keith Hinson, the SBOM’s Web minister and course instructor. His computer’s display will be projected onto a screen so participants can watch the actual process of establishing and editing Web sites.

Each day’s sessions will include LifeWayLink Church Web Sites: Quick & Easy, 9 a.m.–noon, and Microsoft FrontPage: Quick & Easy, 1–4 p.m.

“In general, most students will benefit from either morning or afternoon — but not both,” Hinson said. “The LifeWayLink sites are created and maintained entirely through Internet Explorer and cannot be edited with FrontPage.”

Hinson said the LifeWayLink sites have become popular for at least two reasons. “First the sites can be billed with a church’s LifeWay literature. Second, the learning curve is a bit quicker for LifeWayLink users.”

Yet FrontPage offers a greater ability to customize Web sites and works much like other common computer programs, Hinson said, adding, “If you’re halfway comfortable using other popular software, you should have no problem with FrontPage.”

Registration forms and other details may be obtained by going online to www.alsbom.org, clicking on the “Keyword” link and entering “churchweb” into the search box. For more information call 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 289, or e-mail khinson@alsbom.org. (SBOM)