Feedly - Google Reader sync for iPad - best magazine style RSS app

When I got my iPad I was excited to use Flipboard. I had seen previews and lots of reviews that were very positive. It gained attention by combining the RSS capabilities of a reader app with the beautiful layout of a magazine. This was in contrast to the more utilitarian RSS apps.

Plus, it had Google Reader syncing - a must for me. I follow several feeds on a regular basis, and Google Reader is my service of choice for managing those feeds.

I was quickly disappointed, however, as Flipboard did not have an option to hide previously read articles. It would mark them as read by changing the color of the title, but you still had to flip over them to see older posts. This was annoying to me. Any standard RSS reader normally has this function.

For a long time MobileRSS HD Free did the trick. It is fairly intuitive and utilizes gestures well for navigation. But....still very utilitarian.

Then I found Feedly. Feedly offers a great combination of RSS feed reading features with a more pleasing magazine style layout like that which made Flipboard so popular. (it is also available as a browser plugin and for Android, as well as for iPhone)

If you are like me and desire this combination, along with Google Reader sync, check out Feedly.

Now for the Screen shots...

Jason Cooper (@cooperjason)

Cooper-ation Ministry Resourcing

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Wunderlist is an amazing, free task management app!

I just ran across Wunderlist last night and decided to check it out. 

I signed up for the web app to get started. Let me just say that I was pleasantly surprised and pleased. It is a beautifully simple task management application. And it is FREE!

Not only that, but it comes not only as a web app (accessible from any browser on any computer) but also as an iPad/iPhone and Android mobile version, as well as Windows and Mac OSX desktop versions.  And, of course, they all sync with each other!

Now I have been a Things user for about 2 years now, and have to say while I like the power of Things, I often feel it is more complicated than it needs to be. Don't get me wrong, it is a great application, with more capabilities than Wunderlist, but it also cost $50 for the desktop app, $10 for the iPhone version.

Here are some similarities of the two applications:

1. Both apps sync. Things syncs over wifi when both applications (mobile and desktop) are running on the same network. Wunderlist syncs to the cloud. New items are retrieved on startup.
2. Both apps allow easy organization. Things lets you create either "projects" or "areas of responsibility" for organizing tasks. And a project can stand alone, or be under and "area."  Wunderlist lets you create multiple "lists" (like "areas" in Things).
3. Both use an "inbox" methodology for creating tasks.
4. Both have desktop/mobile versions.

Advantages of Things:

1. Advanced tagging features.
2. More ways to groups/organize tasks (projects, areas of responsibility, due date, etc.)

Advantages of Wunderlist:

1. Cloud syncing.
2. Free desktop client.
3. Free web app.
4. Free mobile client.
5. Simpler for more basic management.
6. Multiple background image options.
7. Push or email notifications (mobile version).
8. Create lists & tasks via a simple email.

Wunderlist also lets you "share" lists, but I have not had a chance to test that functionality.

Here is a screen shot of Wunderlist. Isn't it pretty?

Jason Cooper (@cooperjason)

Cooper-ation Ministry Resourcing

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Hootsuite iPhone App (full version) is Now Free

I was quite pleased when I noticed this the other day. The full version of the Hootsuite iPhone app is now free.

Hootsuite is a web application for managing your social networks. You can use it online with just a browser or on your mobile with one of the mobile apps.

For "live" Twitter browsing I prefer the official Twitter iPhone app, but Hootsuite allows me to schedule updates to both Facebook and Twitter. So if I want an update to go out at a strategic time, I can use Hootsuite to schedule it.

Scheduling is a must have feature for anyone who manages social networks for an organization.

Jason
@cooperjason
Cooper-ation Resourcing

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Need a Source for great graphics? Powerpointsermons.com and CreativeMYK.com

When it comes to the graphics we use here at our church, there are two primary sources we rely on.  Since we don't have a paid graphic artist, or even a volunteer with experience, we usually don't have the time to create graphics from scratch.  We rely heavily on pre-made graphics that we can use as is, or with a few small tweaks (like changing text).

PowerPointSermons.com  

This is a great site with a wide selection of pre-made graphics that will work for sermon series graphics, worship backgrounds, and even announcement graphics.  Each set typically comes with 3-4 variations, all with and without the title text, and they are available in several different formats (jpg, ppt, etc.).  At around $200 for a year, and unlimited downloads, it is a bargain.  They also started offering video loop subscriptions as well, that costs the same (unless you get both, then you get a discount).  You can also offer additional customized features at an additional cost.  Definitely worth checking out.  

CreativeMYK.com

CreativeMYK has received quite a bit of attention.  It is a free resource that is community based.  Artists upload their artwork for you to see and use if you like (be sure to read and follow the terms).  Offerings vary from basic photographs to bulletin layouts to vector art, and often you are able to download the layered original files rather than a flattened image.  While we don't use this as much at PPTsermons, it is a great second stop on my list when looking for a basic graphic.  It is also a great place for inspiration...

Jason Cooper (@cooperjason)

Cooper-ation Ministry Resourcing

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Need a Source for great graphics? Powerpointsermons.com and CreativeMYK.com

When it comes to the graphics we use here at our church, there are two primary sources we rely on.  Since we don't have a paid graphic artist, or even a volunteer with experience, we usually don't have the time to create graphics from scratch.  We rely heavily on pre-made graphics that we can use as is, or with a few small tweaks (like changing text).

PowerPointSermons.com  

This is a great site with a wide selection of pre-made graphics that will work for sermon series graphics, worship backgrounds, and even announcement graphics.  Each set typically comes with 3-4 variations, all with and without the title text, and they are available in several different formats (jpg, ppt, etc.).  At around $200 for a year, and unlimited downloads, it is a bargain.  They also started offering video loop subscriptions as well, that costs the same (unless you get both, then you get a discount).  You can also offer additional customized features at an additional cost.  Definitely worth checking out.  

CreativeMYK.com

CreativeMYK has received quite a bit of attention.  It is a free resource that is community based.  Artists upload their artwork for you to see and use if you like (be sure to read and follow the terms).  Offerings vary from basic photographs to bulletin layouts to vector art, and often you are able to download the layered original files rather than a flattened image.  While we don't use this as much at PPTsermons, it is a great second stop on my list when looking for a basic graphic.  It is also a great place for inspiration...

Jason Cooper (@cooperjason)

Cooper-ation Ministry Resourcing

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Giveaways - WorshipHouse Media 12 Days of Christmas

For those who are interested, WorshipHouse Media is giving away some resources during the month of December. It is a "12 Days of Christmas" giveaway.
Check it out here: http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/twelvedays#

via worshiphousemedia.com

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Are you listed on the iPhone? Check out AppChurch (@appchurch)

I have previously posted about a new iPhone app called AppChurch. It is an app that is essentially one big church directory. You can sign up to have your church listed for free, or pay for premium features.

It is easy to miss the fact you can get a free listing. The frontpage only mentions that it is free for 30 days, but notice the bottom of the screen grab below that mentions the "free plan". It is simply a basic listing that includes your church logo, name, address, website, phone, and service times (not just one field for service times, but many).

Just go to AppChurch.com and click on the "see plans and pricing" link at it will take you to the page above. Or go right to the "free plan" link.

Once there, you can fill out the basic information and upload your logo and you are in... If you want to post sermons or events, you will have to pay a monthly fee, but the listing is free. In fact, if AppChurch is to succeed, all of us cheapskates out there should list our churches so there are plenty of listings to make the app worth downloading.

Here are some screen shots of my churches free listing.

This is the "home page" for our church.

This shows the possibilities to list multiple services and programs.

Of course, basic contact info that are active links...

As you can see, not many churches have been listed. Only 6 in our category, with the AG and Baptists leading the pack at only 28 & 30 listings. Let's see if we can bring that up!

NOTE: I previously posted that it would not load on the iPod Touch. The recent update changed that. Now it is on the iPhone and Touch.

Jason Cooper (@cooperjason)

Cooper-ation Ministry Resourcing

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Email Marketing for FREE! MailChimp

There are plenty of options out there when it comes to email marketing. Some simply choose to use more basic options like Google or Yahoo email groups, and some choose a fully featured email marketing provider. Usually the issue is cost.

For smaller ministries, who have less than 500 email contacts, you can use a fully featured email marketing provider for FREE! Not just free for 30 days, free forever as long as your contact list remains below 500 individual email addresses.

The service I am referring to is MailChimp. While we do not personally use MailChimp in my organization (we just switched paid service providers and paid for 6 months in advance) we probably would have if we had run across MailChimp when we were looking to switch. Free for up to 500 emails and 3,000 emails each month.

My church runs about 700 average attendance in worship and we have around 400 email contacts. So this is a great option for small and medium sized ministries. 

Jason Cooper (@cooperjason)

Cooper-ation Ministry Resourcing

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Free Resource: Picnik.com - Photo editing the easy way, online in your browser

I love to be able to share free resources with others! Ran across this site in a blog post and checked it out.

Picnik.com is an web app photo editor. It works on Mac/PC in just about any browser. There are a ton of free features, but the more advanced come with a "premium" membership.

If you need to make some quick, basic changes to a photo - like crop, resize, contrast/brightness, tint, etc. - picnik.com allows you to do so quickly and easily. I was pleased with the array of available FREE effects that are available.

For fun, I tweaked a rather poor shot of myself into a colorful cartoonish caricature in a matter of seconds. It is now my new Twitter profile pic. (it's not great, but that's not the point...)

Picnik includes the ability to export to several different standard formats.

Perhaps one of the best features is that you DON'T have to signup or register in order to use it. You can just book mark it and go to it when you need and no need to "sing in" in order to do what you need to do. Just upload a photo and go.

Picnik also let's you connect to several popular sites where your pictures are already stored (Flickr, Facebook, etc.) so you may not even have to upload. I didn't try this feature, but I like the idea.

In general, I'd say it's worth checking out. Great for volunteers who don't have access to things like Photoshop.

Jason Cooper (@cooperjason)

Cooper-ation Ministry Resourcing

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Highlighting great online ministry resources - CreativeMYK.com (@CreativeMYK)

CreativeMYK.com is a great online resource for graphics, photos, logos, etc. CreativeMYK is basically a pool of Christian artists and their graphic art.

What makes CreativeMYK.com great is that everything is downloadable and contributers distribute their artwork in various file formats (jpeg, photoshop, illustrator, etc.). Resources include everything from photos to logos to bulletin layouts to flyers, etc.

As with all such sites, be sure to read the "terms of use" guidelines. CreativeMYK.com is intended to be a place Christian graphic artists can share their work, request feedback, and offer critique. It is not intended as a place to "rip off" someone else's work.

That being said, it is a great place to get inspiration for your own artwork.

Jason

Gallery - A place for anyone looking for free, quality Christian graphics and photos shared by Christian artists around the world.

Artists - A place for Christian artists to show their creative talents.

Critique and Discuss - A place to network, discuss, and critique with other Christian artists from professional to amateur.

via creativemyk.com

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Top 10 FREE web tools any church can use - Steve Fogg: Clear and Simple.

I know there are a thousand variations of these kind of lists, so take it for what it is...one man's opinion of some of the better options out there for free services ministries can leverage.

Steve Fogg is new to me, but have gleaned several new ideas/resources from following him. Check him out at stevefogg.typepad.com

Jason

Top ten (in DJ voice over) coming in at number 1 is...

1. Twitter: 101: This should be every Youth Pastor's and Communications peep's friend.
2. Facebook: Create your church community connection point/marketplace. We have.
3. Youtube: DIY online video distribution. You can literally broadcast yourself. We did.
4. Vimeo: Another DIY online video distribution tool. I prefer this to youtube.
5. Wufoo forms: As they say, making forms easy, fast and fun.
6. Blogger: Create your church homepage today for FREE.
7. Gmail: Connect anytime, anywhere.
8. Google Calendar: Whats on and when. 
9. Google maps: Where you are and how to get there.
10. iTunes: While not strictly online, you can post your churches sermon every week.

As well as being free, these tools allow anyone (who has a spotty techie, geeky teenager) to set up a church website today. What are you waiting for?

via stevefogg.typepad.com

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OneApp, Social Network and Online Church Directory, Goes Free (Literally)!

Is your church looking for a "social networking solution?  Check out the following post from ChurchCrunch. 

Jason Cooper

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OneBody just recently announced that they are releasing their most stable version ever, v1.0, to the wild, and one of the best things about it is they’re offering a free-version to download on your own server and run!

Most excellent.

And seriously, when they mean open source it appears that they really mean it. Just look at their pricing model (they have a paid service to support those that can’t host it on their own):

The “free” version doesn’t hold anything back! I love how they’re giving it all away.

Besides the awesomesauce of open source the platform looks pretty stable and robust, giving everything you’d probably expect in a church social network and online directory.

Some of the newer features mentioned:

• Online Directory with AJAX live search, pop-up previews, printable PDF, and more.
• Groups with full email functionality (incoming and outgoing), pictures, prayer requests, attendance tracking, and more.
• Social Networking with friends, messaging, favorites, advanced privacy controls, and much more.
• Membership Management with import and export and unlimited custom fields. Use OneBody as a ChMS or sync with an external source.
• Newly revamped home pages that show friend/group activity.
• Newly revamped profile pages with easier content sharing.
• Newly revamped group pages.
• Lots of refinement to admin, group editing, profile editing, and app-wide refinements.
• Increased page load time.

Seriously, if you’re in the market for something like this, you can’t beat free and the offering looks good.

I’d love to hear some testimonials! Knocking it out!

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Via ChurchCrunch

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ChurchCrunch/~3/LvdlZESBufI/

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Animoto.com - free "video/picture montages"

How can we help your cause?

Animoto supports not-for-profits and other humanitarian causes with free pro accounts.

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View our case studies to see more sample videos, or apply now and let Animoto help your cause!

View sample video »

via animoto.com

This site offers some very basic services for free, including producing quality video montages from pictures and short video clips. I haven't used it yet, but it boasts free "pro" accounts for non-profits. Worth checking out!

Could use it for graduations, weddings, baby dedications, etc.

Jason

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Free Online Surveys - SurveyMonkey.com

via surveymonkey.com

You can create free online surveys for your ministry at surveymonkey.com! There are some limitations to the free account, but it is a great tool. Here are some ideas for use:

-Survey your class or group about future study topics
-Survey your group about ideas for fellowship activities
-Survey your group to find out areas of struggle (anonymous)
-Survey your group about anything you can think of

Jason

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