Power your church/ministry website with WordPress

Delta theme for WordPress

If you’re still behind the curve, remember it is 2007 and your church and ministry needs a website. Why not use WordPress or Blogger to power your site?

It’s as easy to use as blogging and with RSS already built in, visitors can always have the latest information delivered to their e-mail or RSS reader.

Seriously, it doesn’t get much easier.

And here are a few great themes to plug-in and get started with.

Delta Theme (as seen above)

Several other themes by the same designer

And here’s a great example of how you can really put WordPress to work: Missouri Valley Baptist
Or there’s also a sample site, Cory Miller did to show off how you can make a website with minimal effort and maintenance with Blogger.

Thanks to Cory Miller for the links.

2006 by the numbers

Brandi always comes up with great ideas for her blog posts so I’m taking her latest and adapting it for me. Here’s a look at 2006 by the numbers.

States visited: 4
African countries visited: 1
Airports I’ve been in or landed at: 8
Nights I spent in the African bush: 1
Times our caravan was stuck in the mud on the way to said bush: 7
Times our van broke down on the way to or from said bush: 7
Gubernatorial candidates met: 3
Famous people met: 2
New churches joined: 1
Times I’ve said I love my new church: 6,749
New tires on my truck: 2
Months left on my apartment lease before I met Laurie: 13
Months left on my apartment lease when I proposed: 9
Months left on my apartment lease when we get married: 3
Softball teams I’ve played on (at least one game): 4
Softball championships said teams won: 1 and one 2nd place
Wrestling shows I’ve taken part of: more than 15
Books read: 7
Hard drives replaced on my laptop: 1
Power supplies replaced on my laptop: 2
Number of times a co-worker has complained about their Mac computers: 8,224
Logic boards replaced on Laurie’s Mac: 1
Number of times I’ve wished I could work on OS 9 again: 0
Videos produced for church: 5
Videos posted on YouTube: 37
Pictures posted on Flickr: 1,327
Friends on MySpace: 287
Current total number of posts to my personal blog: 1,915
Recorded visits to my personal blog: 10,020
Blogs currently subscribed to: 65
Lifelong memories made with friends and family: countless
Days until I’m married: 117

Here’s to 2007 and seeing all the changes that it brings with it. May God bless you this year and may His face shine upon you.

Fun Mix CD

For some random reason I decided to make a mix CD for my future bride last night.
Thought I’d share the track listing with you. There’s not really a theme to it per say, but I think it will make a good driving mix. It’s mainly just the latest songs I’ve been listening to and seem to be getting a number of requests on ONR.

1. KJ-52: Rock On
2. Hawk Nelson: The Show
3. Jeremy Camp: Tonight
4. John David Webster: Made to Shine
5. Jimmy Needham: Lost at Sea
6. Mute Math: Noticed
7. Need to Breathe: Shine On
8. Napoleon Dynamite Soundtrack: Bus Rider
9. Nevertheless: The Real
10. Phil Wickham: Divine Romance
11. Relient K: Forgiven
12. Sarah Groves: Loving a Person (live mix from relevant magazine)
13. Superchick: Stand in the Rain
14. Napoleon Dynamite Soundtrack: Here’s Rico
15. The Fray: Over My Head
16. TobyMac: Made to Love
17. Big Daddy Weave: Let it Rise
18. Casting Crowns: Set me Free
19. David Crowder: Here is Our King (live mix from relevant magazine)
20: DecembeRadio: Drifter
21: Moby: One of These Mornings

What’s on your latest Mix CD or top songs on your iPod?

Kara’s off and grown up

Tim and Kara
Well my baby sister has done it. Her and Tim tied the knot yesterday and are now off enjoying their honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains.
It’s odd watching your baby sister get married. The same baby sister I cried about when she was born — because I wanted a brother.
But she has become an amazing woman of God and she (God) couldn’t have found a better man for her.
They’re total opposites when it comes to their personalities but like minded in so many other ways.
Kara is like a tornado when she blows into a room and Tim is the steady fortress that doesn’t get tossed about with the winds of change.
I’m proud to watch her continue to grow and thankful for all the advice she’s given me over the last 21 years. I pray I’ve been as diligent in doing the same thing.
My only wish is that Amy could have been there to see it all. When the maid of honor sang, “Praise the King” I couldn’t help but get a little choked up thinking about Amy and how she wanted that song sung at her wedding.
Kara and I had a brief moment to ourselves at the rehearsal as Lindsey practiced the song — I’ll cherish that forever.
Amy was just as proud of Kara, if not more so and was a huge supporter of Kara and Tim.
Love them all.
Here’s to a New Year and a new marriage blessed by God.

Verse and quote of the day

Thought this was very pertinent considering our small group just started a new study on James.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
– James 1:27-27

I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
– Elie Wiesel