Links We Talked About 3 - Youth Web Site

I am no web page/html expert and I am not sure what the perfect site looks like but here are the notes from our discussion on what is needed on a your ministries site.

• Forms (waives, medical cards, registration, etc)
  
  
• Pics and videos (from retreats, events and just regular meetings)
• You can upload and store pics for free at places like Flickr and Photobucket and Picasa (Picasa is also a free photo editing and filing software from google)
• You can house video on sites like godtube and youtube

• Audio (podcast, sermons, messages) One of many podcast host is Podomatic...it's free. Free audio editor that is solid...Audacity
  
  
• Calendar (Add; teaching series, events, retreats, guest speakers, anything to do with your group) A good start if you have a few bucks ($99) is ParentLink, check out the details.
  

ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE IMPORTANT BUT AFTER A MONTH (OR WEEKS OR EVEN DAYS IN MANY CASES) OF LITTLE VALUE OF YOU DO NOT UPDATE REGULARLY.

• Contact information (email, phone number, address)
  
  
• About us (purpose, mission, vision)

Getting creative (more than you need but fin to have):

• Create devotions for the kids to download

• Read your devotions and let them download the audio file as a link or a podcast
  
  
• Video tape your announcements and upload them to youtube and place them on the front page of your site

• Place games on your site

• Secret links

• Parents and volunteer section (maybe this belongs on the first list)

If you do not understand how to build a webpage and/or you do not have the tools or money to do so consider using a myspace or facebook or blogger page as your youth ministries site. Here are some examples…and they are FREE. These are not the standard for youth ministry sites, these are just some links I found to show you what can be done...and the truth is you can do a lot more. You are only limited by your creativity.

Blog:

• www.hbym.com
• www.revossorc.com
  

Myspace: One great comment about myspace was that you can lock this site so only “friends” can see it.Have your youth page and a separate picture page.If your parents are worried about their kids picture being on the web this way only your “friends” can access the pictures.This can also get parents online and connected to your ministry.

• Group 1
• Group 2

Facebook:

• Group 1
• Group 2