The Guide Network

Networking together for web and mobile evangelism

The Global Use of Internet and Digital Evangelism (Guide) Network is an informal networking resource, linked with Internet Evangelism Day & Web Evangelism Guide, Internet Evangelism Coalition, [www.webevangelism.com] Global Christian Internet Alliance, [www.christianitytoday.com/international/features/info.html] Lausanne, [www.lausanne.org] and visionSynergy. [www.visionsynergy.net Its purpose:

“ Enhancing global spread of the Gospel in multiple languages via the Internet and mobile digital devices, by networking with practitioners to:

• share resources and information
• encourage Kingdom collaboration
• help the body of Christ to embrace and engage in internet/mobile evangelism ”

Currently, the main resources of the Network are:

• Guide Network YahooGroup [www.yahoogroups.com/group/guide-network] which we invite you to join. Please state your reasons for wishing to join on the YahooGroups application form or by email. You may wish to opt for a daily digest, to restrict the number of emails you receive.) This is a place to network with others, share news, and ask questions on any aspect of web/mobile evangelism.
• Guide Network Facebook Group – a further way of networking on web and mobile evangelism. (You need to be a member of Facebook to view this page, and join the group.)
• Mobilev [www.snipr.com/mobilev] Wiki, a mobile developments blog [http://davehackett.blogspot.com] and resource page about mobile device evangelism.
• Networks relating to web and digital evangelism for a specific areas of ministry, including:
  1. A network of people using the Web to reach a very large monotheistic religious group in many nations. A Europe-based conference is held every year. If you are involved in digital ministry in this area, or would like to be, or are involved in a parallel ministry which is, or could be, integrated with the Web (radio, TV, video, mobile devices, literature, BCC, on-the-ground follow-up, etc, please email.
  2. Children’s Web and Digital Media Ministry Network [http://community.godrev.com/group/childrenswebanddigitalmediaministrynetwork] – a place for networking, sharing vision, ideas, resources and strategy for reaching and teaching children through the Internet and digital media. (You will need to join GodRev, you can then ensure that your settings will only send you emails in relation to this group.)
  3. We hope to offer several other networks shortly, including one for web outreach in the Russian language.
• The growing range of resource pages and outside links on this site, including newsletters, recommended blogs, research papers, books and other training resources.
• Lausanne’s newsletters Connecting Point, [www.lausanne.org/lausanne-connecting-point] Lausanne World Pulse, [www.lausanneworldpulse.com] and Network for Strategic Missions [http://strategicnetwork.org] knowledge-base of 17,000+ articles.

Other resources will be added in due course. If you are a member of, or know of, any informal network relating to any of these topics, which you would like us to include on this page, please write.

Please link to this page using a text link or our logo: get code.

Our vision

A special emphasis is assisting in the emergence of internet/mobile evangelism in more countries and languages beyond English, including the non-western world. There will soon be the ‘second billion’ web users outside the West, and even more have mobile phones right now. So our interest also includes the development of viral video clips and cartoons that can be used with mobile phones or online. We also wish to see increased convergence, synergy and collaboration between different electronic media, for instance DVDs and radio ministry, with the Web/mobile devices.

We also wish to help the cross-cultural missions community in developing digital evangelism and discipleship integrated with their ministries on the ground.

How we can help you?

Link you with others

Are you wishing to do web evangelism in a particular language? Are you planning a mobile phone initiative? Perhaps you are looking for training? We can probably link you with others working in the same area. With our involvement in the cross-cultural missions community as well as the new media, we do have a unique web of relationships to draw on. Or you may be a mission agency, just wondering whether to move into web or mobile ministry. Are you the editor Christian publication who wishes to interview people regarding web and mobile evangelism? Whatever your needs or questions, please write.

Partner visionSynergy [www.visionsynergy.net] are also experts in helping Christian groups network together in other ways for the Great Commission. See their book Well Connected [www.connectedbook.net] (Phill Butler, Authentic Books/World Vision).

Free articles for editors

We offer to Christian print and web editors, and bloggers, a wide range of freely re-usable articles:

• about web evangelism, plus MP3 interviews and talks freely available for podcasting and broadcasting
• other articles: [http://www.probe.org/rusty] seeker/skeptic-friendly for non-Christians, and features on broader evangelism issues for Christians

Panel of speakers for conferences, seminars, Bible Colleges, or agencies

Some members of the Guide Network are available to speak about web and mobile evangelism at conferences, seminars, Bible Colleges or mission agency staff meetings (as well as offering consultancy advice by email or Skype.) We hope that increasingly, Bible Colleges will develop course modules on these topics, as our Open Letter to colleges suggests.

Members of this panel are also available by telephone interview for Christian radio/podcasts or print media articles.

Annual conference

The annual Internet Ministry Conference [internetministryconference.org] is a prime place to learn more about digital outreach and network with others. You can watch previous conference sessions online, and read the conference blog. [internetministryconference.org/blog] There are other conferences and training sessions around the world.

Cheap/free software, webmaster and technical advice

Guide Network does not major in technical advice, although by all means ask other members. (If you are newcomer to the Web, check these resources.) Your best route for asking about (and giving) technical solutions is to join online forums such as Christian Web Masters [www.christian-web-masters.com/forums] | Webmaster Talk [www.webmaster-talk.com] and many others. For church webmaster forums to discuss technical issues and site critiques, see Great Church Websites [www.greatchurchwebsites.org] and ChurchMedia.net [www.ChurchMedia.net] which also covers wider church media issues such as PA, projection, video and related issues, and offers an annual conference. Of course, a Google search will frequently lead you to a technical solution already posted online.

We highly recommend SiteProNews’ webmaster articles [www.sitepronews.com/article-archives] and newsletters. [www.sitepronews.com/archives.html] See also the newsletters and articles at SitePoint. [www.sitepoint.com/newsletter] We offer advice on Search Engine Optimization and page promotion.

For royalty-free graphics, (often completely free for non-profits), see StockExchange. [www.sxc.hu]

Of the greatest value to web developers are the various free Firefox browser Add-ons [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox] such as the Web Developer toolbar and Search Engine Optimization tools. For valuable guidance on HTML, CSS and other scripting, see W3Schools. [http://www.w3schools.com]

International Conference on Computing and Mission (ICCM) [www.iccm.org] focuses mainly on tech support for missions, with mailing lists, and annual conferences in US, Australia and Europe [www.iccm-europe.org] and the MissionTech Wiki. [http://www.missiontech.info]

Be aware that there is much free software available for those on a restricted budget. OpenOffice is a free satisfactory alternative to MS Office suite. PrimoPDF saves any file to PDF. There are many thousands of freeware/shareware products which are often equally as good as commercial programs. Take the time to research what may be available to suit your needs at Download.com [www.download.com] and Google for Windows, Mac and Linux.

Google’s many free applications, including user-sharing GoogleDocs, [www.docs.google.com] are also highly useful.

And many software providers offer very substantial discounts to non-profit organisations. For instance, DreamWeaver and Microsoft products are available at 20-25% of the commercial price. It is always worth asking a manufacturer – they may not publicize discounts widely for fear of abuse. Mach5.com offers 20% off, on request, for instance. Retailers and other resources at special not-for-profit prices include: TechSoup, [www.techsoup.com] CCBNonProfits (N America) [www.ccbnonprofits.com] and Civica (UK). [www.civica.co.uk]