Tech Blog
Help more people find your church – learn about Google ads
Would you like to experiment with Google ads to make your church or organization easier for people to find online? Google offers several tools for non-profits through a program called Google for Nonprofits (enroll through a site called Tech Soup) and one of the tools available is Google Ad Grants. The Rev. Hunter Ruffin described some benefits of using Google advertising in the 2017 Advent/Christmas edition of the Common Purpose newsletter, and an upcoming webinar geared toward non-profit organizations addresses this…
Diocesan website launches updated format
Welcome to the updated website of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. We have made some changes to the appearance and format of the site. Here are answers to questions you may have and opportunities to give feedback. Questions you may have You may notice something acting strangely on the site or a mistake in the information on a page. Please let us know of any issues or problems you encounter, or if there is something you can’t find.
Bishop email hacked – how it affects you
Bishop High’s email address was compromised on Tuesday morning, January 10, 2017 and one spam message was sent from within his edotn.org account to a large list of his contacts. The subject line of that email was “Documents” and there was an attached file, Scan.pdf. We have audited and re-secured this edotn.org account. Additional email messages have been sent from a spoofed email address, appearing to come from Rayford B. High, Jr., but actually coming from a different email address and…
Church hospitality for a video game can create new connections
This article by Susan Kleinwechter, communications and publications director at St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, Keller, tells how one parish in the diocese is using the wildly popular game of Pokémon GO as an opportunity for outreach. She also offers suggestions for how other congregations might engage. Pokémon and PokéStops and Gyms are showing up at several of our congregations. For instance, St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth, has a PokéStop right beside its front sign. Check to see what’s showing up at your place. ——————————————-…
Reporting a fake Facebook account
Recently, someone set up a fake Facebook personal profile pretending to be a member of our clergy here in the Diocese of Fort Worth; the spelling of the name was just one letter off. Some friends of the real person had accepted friend requests from the fake profile, however, and when they realized it was a fake, they helped get it taken down. So, what’s the best course of action in a situation like this? Our Social Media Coordinator, Susan Kleinwechter, offers these tips:…
“God’s Geeks” help bridge the digital divide
Trinity Episcopal Church recently held another “God’s Geeks” session to educate parishioners about online communications and help them master their digital devices. Folks who need a helping hand may contact the church to set up one-on-one appointments during dedicated “Geek” sessions. During these times, church volunteers are on-hand to troubleshoot and guide digital novices. Some volunteers are well-versed in Apple products; others specialize in PC or Android platforms. As users become more comfortable with their smartphones, tablets and laptops, volunteers…
Google changes its algorithm. Why you should care.
“If your congregation is not on the Web, it doesn’t exist to much of the world.” – Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop, The Episcopal Church, April 10, 2015. And what’s more, even if your congregation has a website, if it is not mobile-friendly, it still won’t exist to much of the world. Here’s why. On April 21, 2015, Google — the online search engine whose name has become a verb – started implementing a major overhaul of its page…
Technology workgroups offer hands-on help
When a group from St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Arlington requested help learning to do more with their website, an idea was born: hands-on technology workgroups. Members of St. Alban’s who are involved with the church’s communications formats – WordPress website, Facebook, and the e-newsletter – invited diocesan communications staff to come work with them on Tuesday, February 10, with a follow-up session Wednesday, February 11. Six members of St. Alban’s arrived at Theatre Arlington, tech devices in hand, ready to work. Peter Polk…
Communications Analytics and Insights
Analyzing how people engage with our major communication methods helps us understand visitor activities and paint a picture of our audience and the effectiveness of what we do. It helps us avoid hunches and gut feelings and gives a solid foundation to consider change and improvement. The communicators for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth have analyzed our major communication channels – our website, Facebook page, YouTube channel,Twitter account, and Flickr account – and we offer that analysis to all who are…
Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth Responds to the Heartbleed Bug
There has been much in the news recently about the discovery of an internet security issue known as “Heartbleed,” a serious vulnerability that affects almost every site, service, and application connected to the internet. A solution to the problem was created almost immediately by the people who discovered it, and the fix was released publicly along with the announcement of the problem. The diocesan communications team has analyzed diocesan internet activity and found there is no evidence of any data…
Heartbleed Bug – Answers, Information, and Advice from the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
You may have heard on the news or in other media about a recent internet-security vulnerability known as “Heartbleed.” The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth does not have the capability or the desire to become a tech-support provider or a primary source of internet-security information. However, we are taking several actions with our own applications in order to secure them against this vulnerability, and we feel it may be helpful to provide information about what we are doing and why,…
Guide to Using the Diocesan Website
The diocesan website episcopaldiocesefortworth.org serves not only as a welcome mat for seekers and newcomers, but also as a repository of vast amounts of information and resources used on a daily basis by the people of the diocese. The website “lives” on the Internet. You cannot break the Internet, nor can you break the website. You can click on just about any word or space on the website safely. The website is an instrument for evangelism. The diocese’s social media sites (Facebook,…
How the Diocese Eventually Got a New Website
In which an immature but enthusiastic young developer learns a few things about working with people. by Adam Wood Perhaps it wasn’t the best way to endear myself in a new town. Perhaps it wasn’t the best way to get my hands dirty with the business of working in my adopted church. In hindsight, I sometimes wish I had been a little less brash (some would say rude). On the other hand, things ended up working out (more or less).…