Tech Tips for Catholics

On some Fridays, I post the top 5 favorite blogposts that I’ve come across throughout the week. You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. How Churches Use Social Media
2. A Pew study finds Catholic satisfaction with their bishops jumps to 70%
3. Getting Creative with QR Codes
4. 15-Minute flockNote Training
5. Catholic Video Shelf on YouTube & Vimeo

Would you consider putting a QR Code on your Grave Marker?

*Bonus Tweet

Every Friday I post the top 5 favorite blogposts that I’ve come across throughout the week. You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. Creator of Bible-based Facebook game lauds internet evangelism
2. How Ministries Should Approach Media & Marketing
3. 25 Awesome iPhone tips and tricks
4. “Technology and the Generation Gap” (video)
5. QR Codes Everywhere Even on Grave Markers

Would you consider putting a QR Code on your Grave Marker?

Bonus Tweet:

Also, Check out these great sites for kids!

• The “Brother Francis” DVD Series
• Happy Saints
• EWTN Kids
• Vegie Tales

If you have a blogpost that you would like to share with me feel free to contact Catholic Tech Tips and I will get it.

Have a great weekend!

Joshua

Every Friday I post the top 5 favorite blogposts that I’ve come across throughout the week. You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. Giving up community for Lent?
2. Avoiding Common Mistakes when Using QR Codes
3. Understanding Facebook Page Insights
4. “Do More With Your DSLR 1: Working with Available Light” (video)
5. “I Have a Say: Father John Hollowell” (video)

*Bonus Tweet

If you have a blogpost that you would like to share with me feel free to contact Catholic Tech Tips and I will get it.

Have a great weekend!

Joshua

Every Friday I post the top 5 favorite blogposts that I’ve come across throughout the week. You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. “Read the Cat” Podcast ― The Catechism, cover to cover, in one year.
2. Preaching to the Connected
3. How to Give a Talk like Fulton Sheen
4. “Open Wide the Doors” (video)
5. Siri Says

*Bonus Tweet

If you have a blogpost that you would like to share with me feel free to contact Catholic Tech Tips and I will get it.

Have a great weekend!

Joshua

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Tonight, I took my 4 year old daughter to go see Kelly Croy’s fantastic chalk drawing show!  Croy inspires people, young and old, to live richer and fuller lives, as a teacher, a writer, speaker, coach, father, husband, and in tonight’s case, an artist.  My daughter, an artist in her own right, was captivated by Croy’s performance.  But it was so much more than just a performance.  He brought a message, during this busy, over commercialized Advent season.  He challenged us to slow down, unplug, and meditate on the Nativity.

If you are looking for a great Catholic speaker/presenter at your Parish, company, retreat, or school, Kelly Croy is your guy.  And Kelly can customize his message to match your event theme, if given plenty of notice and information about your specific needs.  Something else that is cool, Kelly usually donates the drawing to the group that hosted him.

Below are some related links to this topic:

• TeacherCast Podcast 07 “The Wired Educator”
• Kelly Croy and the Nun Bun
• Eager buyers line up for iPhone

My cousin, and daughter’s godmother, is bringing a fun and informative class to couples interested in learning Natural Family Planning. Lauren and her husband, Jimmie, have been married for more than three years and have two beautiful children.

Jimmie has been a contributor for CatholicExchange. He has worked as an abstinence educator at Elizabeth’s New Life Center and was a YMCA director, where he organized day camps and after school programs for the youth.  Jimmie has a degree in education from Bowling Green State University. Lauren is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, with a degree in teaching. Jimmie and Lauren are the co-founders of a non-profit organization called the Christian Center for Youth and Family Health (CCYFH).

To registration for upcoming online NFP classes: http://www.onlinenfp.com/signup

I recommended this course to a couple people and one person posted on my Facebook wall, “Hey, thank you for sending me that link about the online NFP course. We just started this past Sunday, it really was a Godsend!”

Every Friday I post the top 5 favorite blogposts that I’ve come across throughout the week. You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. Did you see what Father just posted?
2. One Reason Why More People Should Use Twitter
3. Three Gouls of Meeting the Needs of the Youth | Pope Benedict’s Guide to Youth Ministry
4. How YouTube Can Increase Students’ Awareness of God
5. Mormons, Catholics, and Online Success

*Bonus Tweet

If you have a blogpost that you would like to share with me feel free to contact Catholic Tech Tips and I will get it.

Have a great weekend!

Joshua

Every Friday I post the top 5 favorite blogposts that I’ve come across throughout the week. You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. The Catholic Church’s Teaching on Stem-Cell Research
2. The power of being invited
3. The Sacred Liturgy in the Digital Age
4. Keeping your account safe
5. Faith and Music Meet Technology

*Bonus Tweet

If you have a blogpost that you would like to share with me feel free to contact Catholic Tech Tips and I will get it.

Have a great weekend!

Joshua

Recently, I heard on the news that Facebook is NOT the number one website that internet users have set to their homepage. Then the next time I logged onto Facebook, a window popped up asking me if I want to set Facebook as my homepage. Decline! : ) What’s Yours?

September 18, 2011 is National Back To Church Sunday! What is your parish doing to reach out to the community and invite people back to church?
[youtube width="386" height="242"]WhlHxVNXeww&autoplay=1[/youtube]Some churches have begun planning for this wonderful event.  Talk to your Priest and ask him if your parish is planning any kind of outreach for “National Back To Church Sunday”.  If not, ask if it would be okay to put something together.  Get others within your parish on board.

• About six weeks prior, and up through Sunday, September 18th, post something in the bulletin.
• Get some professional postcards designed, inviting others in the community back to church.  It is suggested that you mail them out about three weeks before your event.
• Put posters up in your Catholic School, Church, or other public places (Don’t litter them or stick them under people’s windshield wipers―It just comes off as lazy)
• Two weeks prior, would be a good time to equip parishioners with outdoor banners, extra invite cards, or links to a promo video or church website (assuming it is presentable)
• On the day of the event and beyond, be prepared to welcome your visitors! When I came back to church, there was a smiling face there to greet me.  Words can not describe how encouraging and reassuring this was for me at that time of my life. Put together a welcoming packet, with information about how they can get plugged-in to prayer groups, Bible studies, apostolates, volunteer opportunities, info about RCIA, etc.  One of the neat things that our church put together was a booklet describing the various symbols and decor found in the sanctuary.  Perhaps a booklet explaining the Liturgy would be great to include in the packet.  Think both inside and outside the box.  Pray about it.

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