CDN Today Community

Chat with Ray. Ask questions & get help building your website on CDN Today’s Community of Christian Websites!

How-To DIY

This month, we will focus on HOW TO BUILD A WEBSITE on our CDN Today Network. Since there may be some users who have been holding off on building a site here because they are unfamiliar with the process, this month’s how-to will deal with the basics.

You can find help already (http://cdntoday.com/series/newuser/) but the “Monthly How-To” will allow you to get real time help and advice.

You must be a REGISTERED user (register at http://cdntoday.com/register) and you must visit here on Sunday (July 25, 2010) between 3-5pm (Central Time).

As a social media community, CDN Today offers most of the same functions as Facebook (tm). (Note: We are NOT affiliated with Facebook(tm) in any way.) You can visit all of our websites; find/make “Friends”;  establish “Groups” and “Forums”;  and share comments and activity updates with users over the entire community – all with a single log-in. The ACTIVITY page will display new postings on blogs across the network – or, you can filter on any of a dozen options to display just the content you want to see.

However, on CDN Today your activity page will never be filled with notes about the loathsome ”Farmville” (or other useless game) updates!  (BIG SMILE) Although some of our sites may offer games or other amusements,  such automatic output will not be allowed onto the community’s activity timelines.

Facebook-like “social networking”

• Each user controls the information shared on their profile
• Each user has a timeline (ACTIVITY Page) of updates across the entire Network
• Users link to others as “Friends“
• Users can send private messages to each other
• Users can create and/or join groups which facilitate interaction with select group of Christians
• Users can share links easily with other users
• The system sends notifications (online and/or in email) of selected activities

Users can create forums for discussion

• Enables groups of users to discuss issues of mutual concern
• Can be public or private
• Easy navigation & notifications of new posts

FREE websites for anyone meeting a few requirements

• Single sign-in for all sites hosted on this community / Network
• Easily visit & see what is happening at each hosted website
• Post comments across the entire community

Read the rest of this entry →

This is CDN Today!

If you are new to this site, here are a few things to help you get started.

You must register to get the real benefits of the community.

Click on the “Create an account” link in the right-hand column to get started. Or, Login if you already have an account.

• Always visit the “Activity” page (click the  ”Activity” button in the header) to see the latest notes from the admins and your friends. (Very similar to how Facebook works.)
• Visit the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page to get some of your questions answered.
• If you asked for and received a blog, then you should read the short tutorial at the bottom of the FAQ page.
• Visit the Technical Support Site for “How-To’s” & Tutorials about building and maintaining your website here on CDN Today.
• Leave a comment (or Direct Message) to Ray Waldo if you need some other assistance.
• Follow the NEW USER series of articles list below or click here.

Please visit the Tech Support site regularly. I am creating tutorials for many of the most common issues that you may have with your new website. There will also be a “Ticket” system where you can track your request for help.

You are welcome to post a comment here if something is confusing. I will try to answer as quickly as I can.

Most churches today are probably already using some church management software – especially for their financial transactions. However, due to the cost of purchasing such software, some smaller churches may not.

Prior to my retirement, I pastored some small churches that did not have commercial software. So, I created some Excel spreadsheets to accomplish the more important functions. If you are in a similar situation, you may download my files and edit them to use with your church.

• Budget.xls – a simple checklist of routine payments, so nothing is forgotten.
• Bulletin.dot – a Word template to print a weekly church bulletin
• Minutes.dot – an agenda/minutes outline
• MonthReport.xlt – a pretty complex spreadsheet to present a FULL monthly report of finance and attendance.
• Outline.dot – my template for sermon or study outlines
• Voucher.dot – a form to define the purposes of all non-check expenditures and assure proper reimbursement
• WeeklyFinance.xlt – A working spreadsheet to tally the weekly revenues & create the deposit slip for the bank.
• WeeklyReport.xls – basically the same as WeeklyFinance.xlt except this one is just to print and allow a NON-computer literate treasurer to just enter the data on a PAPER copy for someone else to enter into the computer.

If you like and use these forms, please add a comment below. If you make considerable changes, consider offering the changes for others to use also.