Lego Advent Calendar

Santa’s checking his list at this time of year — and so should you if you’re running a parish website. Here are the 10 steps to prepare your church site for Advent.

1. Pick a permanent URL for all of your Advent content. Use the same page year after year so search engines—which really means first-time visitors—can find you. That’s your best chance for reaching those who are thinking of returning home for Christmas.
2. Make that permanent URL short, relevant, easy-to-remember name for that URL. Hint: work in “Advent” into the name, such as YourChurch.com/advent. Including unnecessary subdirectories in the name is as sloppy as leaving the price tag on a present. So skip /seasons/recurring/advent/ or /ministries/liturgy/advent. Double check that someone could say this address out loud to a friend and have it remembered. Also confirm that the address can fit on one line in your bulletin.
3. Include your Christmas Mass schedule on your Advent page as soon as possible. Again, you might have only one shot at first timers. All of your other Advent events should be here too, of course, along with your daily Mass schedule.
4. Incorporate an Advent theme for your entire parish. If you don’t have one, go with Year of Faith. Some churches adopts a single theme for all children’s religious education programs that carries over to the parish as a whole. If the theme already is in place for the kids, get some more mileage but expanding it across your community. When I used to run my parish’s website, we took this approach, such as in this 2006 theme, “Sent Forth in Hope” from 2005, 2004 and 2003.
5. Add a poll asking how your parishioners are celebrating Advent. A one-question, multiple checkbox survey is a fun way for visitors to see the activities you’re offering. Include the basics:
   - Using an Advent wreath
   - Attending additional Masses
   - Doing extra good deeds
   - Going to the parish Christmas party
   - ____ << here’s where you add some other event that applies to your parish), etc., plus list those events that are unique to your parish–especially the minor ones that need more publicity.
6. Assemble your pastor’s best Advent and Christmas homilies.
7. Include Advent reflections. Lots of good choices are available, including American Catholic’s Advent page, Catholic.org’s Advent resources, Creighton University, my own parish’s archived Advent reflections (new ones were discontinued), and Our Sunday Visitor.
8. Link to daily Scripture readings. The US Bishops’ daily readings site is a good start and try out other RC.net, EmmausJourney, Creighton University, EWTN and @todaysreadings (a Twitter account I run). The readings are available as podcasts, too, including one of my favorites: Pray As You Go.
9. Review last December’s analytics to identify search terms your visitors used and incorporate these keywords into your site.
10. Share your Advent information on social media and link back to your main Advent page. On Twitter and Google+, include the #Advent hashtag. Collect interesting images of Advent wreaths on Pinterest.
11. BONUS STEP: Take some time for yourself to prepare for Jesus. It’s easy to focus on getting the church website ready for everyone else while neglecting your own journey. Remember to use some of the reflections above for yourself!

Are these the kind of steps you’re taking? Let us know what your online preparations are in the comments.

You might also like: 40 Ways to Keep Parishioners from Giving Up Your Church Site for Lent and
Why Your Holiday Bulletin Cover Makes Newcomers Flee

A Thanksgiving Prayer for Everyone americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm…—
James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) November 21, 2012

Thank God for things that happened in 2012 that weren't according to your liking. ow.ly/ftef3 #Thanksgiving—
  (@christianitycom) November 21, 2012

This Thanksgiving ~>

Say a Prayer for Our
Soldiers Families that
Are Missing their Loved One
At Their Table !!

#tcot http://t.co/H8Ba7XuP—
Villi Wilson (@Conservative_VW) November 21, 2012

"Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, & let your faithful ones bless you." –Psalm 145:10 bit.ly/Y5G3s1 Happy Thanksgiving!—
Today's Readings (@TodaysReadings) November 22, 2012

Deacon's Bench: A Thanksgiving prayer in time of loss goo.gl/fb/sdGdR—
Patheos Catholic (@PatheosCatholic) November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving Prayer goo.gl/fb/7fQSF—
Fr. Peter Preble (@frpeterpreble) November 22, 2012

St. Jude Prayer of Thanksgiving #StJudePrayforUs http://t.co/NxTYOaGF—
Shrine of St. Jude (@ShrineofStJude) November 21, 2012

A Thanksgiving Prayer and a Blessing from my house to yours!: Spend time in prayer and praise because it is invi… bit.ly/Upcw81—
IL Grassroots (@ILLgrassroots) November 22, 2012

For those who are grieving while the rest of the world celebrates, Lord hear our prayer. #thanksgiving #prayer—
David L Hansen (@rev_david) November 22, 2012

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer — turnbacktogod.com/a-thanksgiving…—
Georgy N Joseph (@turnbacktogod) November 22, 2012

Poem of the Day: Walter Rauschenbusch – #Thanksgiving Day Prayer – shar.es/GTX65—
EnglewoodReviewOfBks (@ERBks) November 21, 2012

A Thanksgiving prayer wnd.com/2012/11/a-than… #tcot—
Peyton James (@peytonjames) November 22, 2012

WORLDVIEW: A Thanksgiving prayer (Bridges' First Person: "Dear Lord: Thank You for bearing with us") ow.ly/ftR0k—
  (@baptistpress) November 21, 2012

A Thanksgiving Prayer to Stand for Children and Our Nation's Future huff.to/10fpB8d—
  (@HealthInsuNews) November 21, 2012

from the archives: a #thanksgiving prayer [wordless wednesday] bibledude.net/wordless-wedne… #iambibledude—
Dan King (@bibledude) November 21, 2012

A #Thanksgiving #Prayer – http://t.co/CCrdX2zy—
Deb Scott (@GreenSkyDeb) November 21, 2012

Johnny Cash sings Thanksgiving prayer. Wow. bit.ly/578YVk—
Waylon Lewis (@elephantjournal) November 22, 2012

My Thanksgiving Prayer – November 21, 2012 wp.me/pvNyA-2dU—
Linda Long Writes! (@LindaLongWrites) November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving @ English Village @ Plimoth Plantation instagr.am/p/SVJFVspxoy/—
Plimoth Plantation (@plimoth) November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving Prayer. Thank You, O LORD, for our health and bountiful food, For love and friends, For everything Your goodness sends. <><—
JP (@Pogo407) November 21, 2012

And lastly there’s a Thanksgiving Prayer from a Concord Pastor, which I tweeted so I could sneak it in here.

Thanksgiving Prayer for 2012 from a Concord Pastor ow.ly/fuMGp—
Church Mojo (Mark A) (@churchmojo) November 22, 2012

Perhaps these offered some inspiration for you this Thanksgiving. Take time to count your blessings and share them with others.

Linus’s Thanksgiving Prayer from Charlie Brown

Veterans Day Posters 1978 – 2012 from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Animated GIF by Mark Alves

The VA Dept. has individual posters for downloading here. More posters are available from:

• Disabled American Veterans
• Air Force
• Cafe Press
• Zazzle
• (But don’t go this route)

Thank you to all those who’ve served.

Election Day 2012 by Mark Alves

Some candidates don’t have a prayer of winning, but you might want to share an election prayer on your church website or on your church’s social media accounts. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

• A Concord Pastor, who regularly offers prayers and reflections for many occasions, shares Prayer Before Voting
• The Curt Jester cites a prayer by St. Teresa of Avila as an election prayer that inspires perspective
• Kathryn Jean Lopez on Patheos.com gives us Election Day is a Day for Prayer
• The First Letter of St. Clement of Rome to the Corinthians gave election inspiration to the Guild Review
• Prayer and Fasting on Election Day was penned by Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction
• A Prayer on Election Day comes from Leading From the Sandbox
• Franciscan Missionaries offer up this Election Prayer
• Catholic Online posts a Call for a Lord’s Prayer Monday Before Election Tuesday
• John Piper delivers A Prayer for the Election
• CrossWalk presents A Prayer for America on Election Day
• WorldVision presents Election 2012: A prayer guide for Election Day
• Ubi Petrus transcribes A Prayer for Our Country from a holy card of the Men of the Sacred Hearts
• Rev. Steven Thomason led this quiet prayer on Capitol Hill
• Taking a different approach, InGodsImage.com suggests 10 Things to Pray For on Election Day
• Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke shared An Election Year Prayer for the Faithful Witness of Catholics in the United States
• Angela Mackey recommends the Psalm 40.
• And USA Today, not typically known for devotions, suggests:
  Deliver us a decisive outcome. The nation is best served by an unambiguous result.

Lastly, here’s an election prayer by the US Catholic Bishops:

Prayer Before An Election

Lord God, as the election approaches,
we seek to better understand the issues and concerns
that confront our city/state/country,
and how the Gospel compels us
to respond as faithful citizens in our community.

We ask for eyes that are free from blindness
so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters,
one and equal in dignity,
especially those who are victims of abuse and violence,
deceit and poverty.

We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn
and those abandoned,
men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.

We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders
who will bring us closer to your Kingdom.

We pray for discernment so that we may choose leaders
who hear your Word, live your love, and keep in the ways of your truth
as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles
and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,
and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Source: USCCB; hat tip: Brad West

You may also be interested in Veterans Day Prayers and Reflections for your church website. Or, perhaps, the unsuccessful presidential campaign by our pastor (launched on, ahem, April 1).

Panel discussion at Social Media Week DC. Photo by Mark Alves

Are your church’s social justice leaders and volunteers taking a break from saving the world so they can watch the presidential debates?

Tell them not to bother unless they’re going to live tweet their reactions during the debates themselves. Why? Today’s micro news cycles survive on instant feedback. If your social justice team isn’t sharing their reactions immediately on Twitter then they’ve missed out on joining the national conversation.

Ridiculous or not, that’s one of the takeaways from the Election 2012 and the Fight for the Internet panel at the Washington Post during Social Media Week in DC.

Twitter shows audience perception of a debate to reporters before reporter hits spin room says @joetripoli #SMWcampaign—
Mark Alves (@markalves) February 17, 2012

Reporters are expected to file stories immediately after the debates. Thanks to Twitter, journalists can quickly get a sense of audience reactions and see whether other reporters are drawing similar conclusions right on the spot.

(The tweet above would have been much better if I had gotten political strategist Joe’s name right. So sorry, Mr. Trippi (@joetrippi).) He was one of the panelists along with Post reporter Karen Tumulty, SocialFlow VP of research and development Gilad Lotan, and Hitwise analyst Cristina Bell (no Twitter?). The event was facilitated by the Post’s national digital editor, Amanda Zamora.

Reporters no longer trapped in a bubble on the campaign bus thanks to Twitter. #SMWcampaign—
Mark Alves (@markalves) February 17, 2012

Will your organization be part of that discussion? You’ve got a chance if you chime in on Twitter during these major political events.

What about Facebook? It sounds funny to say about a company that is often in the news for privacy controversies, but many of the posts on that channel are not set to public so those conversations are missed. Twitter posts, conversely, are public in most cases and make a better barometer of public opinion. Save Facebook for reaching your own audience rather than reporters.

#SMWcampaign: Most impactful #socialmedia for 2012? @joetrippi says Twitter, but @gilgul notes Facebook privacy makes effect hard to see—
Emily Vraga (@ekvraga) February 17, 2012

The televised debates are here. Speak up. Retweet. Join in.

By Sune Rievers on Flickr

It’s September 19 so it must be, what, Wedneday of the 24th week in Ordinary Time (or Twitter version)? It’s also International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Celebrate with this buried treasure from ChurchMojo.com we arrrrgh diggin’ up for this here special occasion.

The usual suspects are enjoying this here holiday as well. Ironic Catholic struck gold again with Psalm 42, New Revised Pirate Version. And Happy Catholic gets literature-y.

To err is human. To arr is pirate! Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day, me hearties. http://ow.ly/6rsKD #ITLAPD ^MR—
CSIRO (@CSIROnews) September 18, 2011

1. Polls/surveys. “What Are You Giving Up For Lent?” with multiple-choice options such as sweets, drinking, Facebook and TV is one way to start. Try Do Sundays “Count” in Lent? on the first weekend in Lent. How Well Are You Keeping Up With Your Lenten Goals? can be asked later in the season.
2. Lenten reflections, such as encouraging 10 minutes a day of prayer (Concord Pastor), or ”Finding Your Priorities This Lent” or “Thirst For Justice, Hunger for Peace” or praying a novena as suggested by Catholic Matriarch.
3. #AshTag photos. Show pics of a cross-section of your parishioners with their ashes. Search Instagram or check NPR’s collection for examples to get you started.
4. Non-meat recipes for Fridays. Catholic Cuisine will give you inspiration.
5. Daily reflections on the Scriptures, such as from the US Bishops, the Catholic Information Network, RC.net, Creighton U, EWTN, Mobile Gabriel and one of my favorites: Pray As You Go. Or add the audio of the daily readings to your site.
6. Top 10 lists to lighten the mood. “10 Funniest Things to Give Up for Lent” or come up with your own, such as “Things That Sound Hard to Give Up for Lent, But Aren’t” (what would you put on this list?) or “Top Comebacks for ‘Hey, You Have a Smudge on Your Forehead.’”
7. Saints of the day. Try the Saints & Angels list or American Catholic’s Saint of the Day (also an iPhone app).
8. Almsgiving suggestions, such as charities or events you have in place; local or parish almsgivng; or solicit ways to donate to specific projects.
9. Pinterest. It’s the new Ladies Auxiliary. Here are examples.
10. Sackcloth fashion tips.
11. Tweet the daily readings and a reflection. Retweet these from @TodaysReadings (by Yours Truly).
12. Schedules for your church. Ashes schedule for Ash Wednesday (especially effective if added before the start of Lent!); Holy Week; Stations of the Cross; Penance/reconciliation services.
13. Black History Month resources. Here’s how St. Charles does it.
14. Suggestions for things to give up for Lent and let readers add to your list; or, on the flip side, suggetions for what to take on for Lent.
15. RCIA convert stories. Or give an overview of the process and collect stories for next year.
16. Instructions on how to go to confession to accompany the penance schedule of reconciliation service; add a personal reflection for bonus points.
17. Bible mapping service that shows where your favorite passages take place on the map.
18. Information about the art in your church. Here’s an example of stained glass windows.
19. Palm (of your hand) Sunday. Promote the mobile version of your website.
20. Washing of the Feet photos. Show some of your own and they are sure to attract attention. Here are some examples for you.
21. Reflections on suffering, sacrifice or similar Lent-related themes. Or by schoolkids.
22. Online stations of the cross. Examples: Creighton University, a version for kids and another.
23. Online prayer partners. Create a posting page for those who want a prayer partner for Lent
24. Your local politicians’ contact info. Prompt your visitors to pick a justice-related topic to write in about during Lent.
25. Take a break from Lent with a March Madness parody.
26. Shrove Tuesday – explain how this is the day before Ash Wednesday; include a favorite pancake recipe.
27. Advertise your volunteers list or newsletters. Help those looking to do more during Lent.
28. AmericanCatholic content – this site has ideas for each liturgical season
29. Make your own PHP e-cards for the season.
30. Start optimizing your site for Easter — so the crowds can find you.
31. Assemble your pastor’s best Lent homilies.
32. Instructions for adding your church to your will, for those thinking of almsgiving beyond Lent. Here’s how the Catholic Foundation describes the process.
33. Online book club — read a Lent book and publish feedback.
34. St. Patrick’s Day often is during Lent — provide links to St. Patrick and other Irish saints.
35. Easter Resurrection Cookies recipe. Tape shut your oven door and see what happens.
36. Online prayer tree — appropriate time to remind visitors if your church has one, or start one if you don’t.
37. Interesting Bible sites, such as a Bible search engine or side-by-side comparisons.
38. Catechism search engine.
39. Operation Rice Bowl.
40. Local resources for 12-step, self-help programs for those hoping to give up their addictions for more than the 40 days of Lent. AA meeting-finder.
41. Basket blessings. You were good all Lent so you deserve more than a plain ol’ basket.

Since you’re thinking about how to help your readers on their Lenten journeys, what are you adding to your site for Lent?

PARDON US…
On Presidents’ Day Weekend, the Web Team asks you to Grant us the favor of a Polk around the parish web site, [URL]. We decided to Fillmore space by Lincoln to other great web sites. Be on the cutting- and Coolidge of technology, which we Taylor each week to meet your needs. Don’t beat around the Bush, but a-Ford yourself of this opportunity today. We’re not making this up, dude — it’s Truman!

For professional use only. Handle with care.

• Better incorporation of my organization’s existing Google Analytics account
• Choice of URL shorteners and tracking
• Option to schedule future posts within the main Facebook interface
• More options for applying formatting to text in a wall post
• A preview screen that shows how many lines will appear before it’s cut off by “more…” once a wall post is published.
  
• Allow Youtube videos to be embedded without being surrounded by scroll bars (yes, Facebook, I know you’re encouraging us to upload our church videos directly to Facebook video, but c’mon. YouTube remains the industry standard for video embedding, for now at least, and should be accommodated.)
• When a post includes multiple links make it easier to pick which one shows up in the blurb rather than defaulting to the first one.
• When an event is posted to the wall, provide the option to include the existing photo of the event and more details. The previous version allowed this. The current one-line description on the wall doesn’t make it clear which link is for the event and does not help with engagement at all.

Along the way, I noticed along the way that Facebook uses Intellisurvey for soliciting feedback.

Those are some Facebook Page improvements I’d like to see administrators have. Did you receive a survey? What are you clamoring for from Facebook?