The Lost Weekly Bulletin of Jesus

Need a laugh at the expense of Hollywood? My parish’s annual April Fool’s Day site spoofs:

• Lost Tomb of Jesus and Judas Gospel (What would bulletin advertisements look like 2,000 years ago?)
• Pixar’s Cars and Arlington, Virginia
• PC – Mac guy commercials

Does your group do something fun for April Fool’s Day?

Here are the top posts on this site from the first three months of 2007 in case you missed any the first time.

1. 40 Ways to Keep Readers From Giving Up Your Site for Lent
   Want to hook your readers throughout Lent so they keep coming back long after Easter? Then tempt them with enticing Lenten content on your church website or blog. Here are 40 ideas to get you started.
2. Chris Garrett’s Killer Flagship Content: Guide to Bringing in Traffic
   Chris Garrett’s very readable e-book, Killer Flagship Content, spells out the importance of creating unique and valuable content for your particular niche that makes your the go-to source that’s synonymous with your distinct area of focus.
3. Leaders Show Gratitude
   Wrap-up of recent links on thankfulness.
4. Why Your Easter Bulletin Cover Makes Newcomers Flee
   The typical weekly bulletin cover includes contact information for your church and key schedules. Covering up this essential information with artwork means all those newcomers at your church for the holiday know how to get in touch with you again.
5. 10 Killer Flagship Content Ideas for Your Church
   Create irresistible pages that keep your readers coming back with these ideas.

Some classic–okay, older–posts remain very popular, sometimes even more so than the latest month’s offerings:

• Catholic House Blessings–Don’t Forget the Dorms, Apartments and Condos
  Even if you don’t have a priest on hand, you can self-bless your own place following these guidelines from the US Bishops.
• 10 Steps to a Lent Page That Gets Noticed
  Here are 10 steps showing how to get your site ready for Lent to make the most of that traffic spike from Ash Wednesday.
• Create a Mobile, PDA-Friendly Version of Your Church Website in Minutes
  Let’s look at how to make a mobile version of your website for those using PDAs, Avantgo or browsing on a smart phone.

National Geographic has a fascinating article on the development of Orlando, from its sleepy origins that Mr. Walt Disney himself “discovered” the day Kennedy was killed to the outer edges of its multi-cultural edge cityness of today.

The author, T.D. Allman, covers lots of territory here, just like Orlando’s tract housing:

• Theme parks
• Mega-churches
• Globalization
• Jack Kerouac

I learned how Orlando’s largest mega church, First Baptist, grew much like Disney–thinking big and thinking ahead, and getting lots of real estate for future expansion. Its pastor, Jim Henry, says, “We’ve done what Wal-Mart and football have. We’ve broken down the idea that ‘big is bad.’” Hmmm.

When it comes to mega churches, focus on the parking, the article explains. Color-coded signals prompt ministers at one such institution to keep their sermons on schedule to ensure the congregation can clear out of the parking lot before the next throng hits.

“Everything happening to America is happening here.” Is this a cautionary tale or a reflection of America as a whole today? Should we feel pessimistic about sprawl, poor planning, and crumbling infrastructure? Or optimistic that whatever the obstacles, visionaries and hard workers continue to move forward? Check out the article and let me know what you think.

It’s a good idea to wrap up the year with a list of top posts, so here’s mine.

1. Catholic House Blessings–Don’t Forget the Dorms, Apartments and Condo–my very first post, by the way.
2. YouTube for Powerpoint = SlideShare.net
3. Create a Mobile, PDA-Friendly Version of Your Church Website in Minutes
4. 3 Veterans Day Prayers for Your Parish Website
5. Daily Readings Podcast from USCCB

I thought Recap: Chicago Search Engine Strategies Conference would’ve been up there, but that’s not the case–yet–but there’s always 2007. Have a blessed new year!