New Missions Page Highlights Missions Month at OCC

[pdstein]

Hi folks,

As a part of its Missions Month focus, OurChurch.Com has launched a new “Missions Mashup” page, which combines information about Christian missions and missionaries from around the world into several useful tools. The page has been created to help people find and learn about Christian missionaries as well as to encourage missionaries to blog and share information with other missionaries.

We’re also excited about the Missions Mashup because it’s a cool, Web 2.0 thing. It combines information from many sources resulting in unique, informative tools. You really have to see it, to fully understand what it does.
http://www.ourchurch.com/missions/

One of the features of the Missions Mashup is a customized Google map that includes “pushpins” showing the locations of missionaries. Clicking on each pushpin reveals the name of the missionaries, their location, and a link to their website and blog.

Another feature is the Missions Feed, which combines the RSS feeds from each missionary’s blog into a single feed. That means you can visit the Missions Mashup to view the latest updates from all the missionaries listed, or you can subscribe to this one RSS feed in your feed reader and receive updates from all the missionaries currently listed as well as any new missionaries that sign up.

If you’re a missionary, you can add your info to the Missions Mashup by completing a short form.
http://www.ourchurch.com/missions/form.php

We’d love to hear your feedback on the Missions Mashup as well as suggestions for improvements. Please post comments and questions by replying to this forum topic.

Also, as a part of Missions Month we’ll be blogging all month long on how missionaries can use the Internet to help their ministries. Our first article on that topic will be posted tomorrow (June 11).
http://blog.ourchurch.com

In His Service,
Paul Steinbrueck
OurChurch.Com

[clchurchbl]

Is this a tool our church could insert on our website and mark with the particular missions we support?

Thank you.
Betty L, webmaster
Clevelandchurch.net

[karlbeau]

Hi clchurchbl,

The map on our missions page was created using some great features made available by Google. You can see them for yourself here:

http://maps.google.com/

Google makes it easy to create a map and then copy the code. This code can be inserted into your site using the NE1 Webbuilder's "Paste HTML" feature. Let us know if you have further questions.
_________________
In His Service,
Karl Beaudry
OurChurch.com

[pdstein]

Actually, just to clarify Karl's comments. Embeding a simple Google Map into your website is very easy. You can do that at http://maps.google.com/ as Karl said earlier.

Creating a Google Map with custom "push-pins" on it is a bit more complicated than that. It requires use of the Google Maps API:
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/

It's not rocket science, but you do have to sign up for a Google Maps API key, and then it takes a little bit of coding.

In His Service,
Paul Steinbrueck
OurChurch.Com

[clchurchbl]

Thank you, Karl,
Thank you, Paul.

I have been pushing my learn-it button to figure out the Google map thing. I see it takes a bit more than "it's very simple" but I'm almost ready to post our missions map on our church website. Thanks for introducing me to this tool!
_________________
Betty L, Webmaster
webmaster@clevelandchurch.net
www.ClevelandChurch.net

[pdstein]

Betty,

I checked out your missions page and wanted to say awesome job with the map!

In His Service,
Paul Steinbrueck
OurChurch.Com

[Thegloryland]

Hello pdstein,


We want more SPECIAL and MORE FREE-BEES


Have a nice weekend
_________________
Your Website Evangelist E Morales
With The Glory Land.
How can I lead someone to Christ?
"Follow me to The Glory Land"

http://thegloryland.com