With Sermon Connect, uploading audio items is as simple as 1-2-3. Read on to learn this easy process.

Begin by going to the Admin login at www.sermonconnect.com/login.php and enter the appropriate login information. (The User Name and Password will have been provided upon registration).

Once on the Admin Panel screen, select the “Media Management” button. Once in the Media Management page, select the “Add New Audio” button. Once inside the “Add New Audio” page, there are 4 steps – or sections – of information to fill out.

Step 1 contains the “Subject/Title”, “Description”, and the “Speaker/Author” information that must be completed in order to save the audio file.

Step 2 contains the Media Date information that must be completed in order to save the audio file. NOTE: The date entered is the date the audio was recorded, not the current date.

Step 3 contains File Options information that must be completed in order to save the audio file.
Streamable?: This enables the audio to play directly through the website.
Downloadable?: This options makes the audio file available to be downloaded and saved to a user’s computer for later listening.
NOTE: If choosing ‘Downloadable’, be sure to indicate if the audio file will also be included in a Podcast stream.

After Steps 1 through 3 been completed, click the “Save and Continue to File Management” Box, located in Step 4. Once the new audio item’s initial information is saved, the “Files” page will display. On this page, there will be a “Browse” section for every piece that must be uploaded. Locate and select the files to be uploaded by clicking the “Browse” button. All available “Browse” areas must have a file associated with them to be uploaded in order to complete the audio item’s creation. Now, click “Upload”.

Once the “Upload” button has been pushed the “File Upload In Progress” box will open, displaying the progress of the upload. Once the upload process has completed, the “Item has been created” box will display, confirming the creation of the new audio item.

Audio Item Management:
Once an audio item has been uploaded to Sermon Connect, it is placed in the Audio List.
Access to this list, click on the “Audio” button on the Media Management page, or in the Media Management sub-navigation. Once inside the Audio List, there are several options within each audio file:

Media files – displays the files associated with this audio item.
Edit – displays the setup information about the audio item, which can be edited and updated.
Delete – deletes the audio item from Sermon Connect.
View Comments – displays any viewer comments posted to the audio item.
Play – plays the audio item in a small window, previewing how the item will play on the site.
Embed – allows a user to place the audio item directly into any external HTML page.

Now that you have a better understanding of your media management system, start getting your audio files uploaded and spread the Good News!

SEO can be a complex subject for most but is an important factor when building a website. Some of you may be saying “what is SEO?”. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a website from search engines such as Google and Yahoo. Usually, the earlier a site is presented in the search results means the higher it “ranks,” which in turn causes more searchers to visit your website.

The biggest misconception when purchasing a website is that when you search for the site that it will automatically appear in your search engine results. Unfortunately, the saying “Build it and they will come” does not apply when building a website. There are a few more steps that need to be taken.

First, let me give you a brief description on how search engines work. Search engines send out spiders or “crawlers.” These crawlers scan websites looking for different formulas. Once they have the formulas, then they build a massive list. When the search engine searches it’s index for relevant sites, they rank them, then display them where they deem fit. Every search engine uses different formulas for ranking words in its index. Although there is no way to guarantee a high ranking (besides paying money), there are a few things you can do to help boost traffic to your website.

1) Advertise
It is very important to get the word out about your website. The obvious step is to give out your web address to your members and have them tell everyone they know. Word of mouth is very important. Secondly, advertise your website by having your web address printed on all print material such as business cards, letterhead, newsletters, bulletins, invite cards etc.. Another way is to list it on your direct mail branding and seasonal campaigns pieces. Don’t forget to include it on banners and signs.

2) Utilize your Meta Tags
Meta Tags are defined most easily as “data about a website” which are not typically visible when viewing a web page. Mostly Meta Tags are for the purpose for search engines to index titles, keywords and descriptions about a site. Many search engines rely heavily on this type of Meta Tag.

Meta Tags are included with your faithHighway website. Your Meta Tags can be found under the “Website” tab of your Admin Panel. You will find three separate categories to fill in. 1) Title, 2) Keywords, 3) Description.

Title - Words entered in this category will display as the site name in a search engine result.

Keywords - Here is where you will list any possible keywords/keyword phrases used to help find your website.

Description - Search engines that support Meta Tags will often display a description along with the title in their results. The text of this should contain a brief summary of your church/ministry.

Here are some Meta Tag tips:
1 To help reach better rankings you need to have keyword-rich home page content and updated every 1-2 weeks.
2 Do not repeat keywords more than twice as overuse of a keyword is referred to as “keyword stuffing” or “spamdexing” and will cause your website to be blacklisted by search engines.
3 Sites that have graphic only home pages will not be crawled by search engine crawlers as crawlers pull only from text content and text link information. However, within the last 6 months Google’s crawlers also pull from flash text elements.
4 Submit data to the DMOZ directory for free, which is then used by Alta Vista, AOL, Google, Lycos, MSN, Yahoo, etc. Note that inclusion in the DMOZ index can take up to 8 weeks.
5 Make sure that when you add your Meta Tags that there is a comma and a space between each keyword or keyword phrase and use all lowercase.
6 Use keywords that you would use if you were trying to find a church/ministry in your area (always using your city or suburb as part of the key phrase).

Every search engine uses different formulas for ranking words in its index. Again, there is no way to guarantee a high ranking but site rankings can be “boosted” with some search engines by using the Meta Tags. If you want to learn more about SEO and Meta Tags, contact your Customer Relations Manager or our Technical Support Team and one of them will be happy to assist you.

Adding audio sermons through Sermon Connect is easy! Learn how here:

We want to help you get the most out of your experience with Sermon Connect. To learn more about Sermon Connect features, tune in next month or check out: http://www.sermonconnect.com/videotutorials/index.html

14. The lowest form of communication is predictability.

When our listeners over time are able to predict what we will say or do, then we are operating in the lowest of communication and probably do not know it. Years ago, my wife and I use to attend a church where on the second hymn and the second verse, we would be asked to stand in the auditorium. The order of the worship service had become so predictable that people checked out mentally.

I challenge you to “mix things up” from time to time in your local church service. Where does it say in the practice book that the sermon has to always be at the end of the service? Where does it say that you have to always preach a different sermon each week? The point is that people become disengaged with what is always done the same way.

On one occasion, a pastor friend of mine told me that he preached the same sermon several times in a row to illustrate to the people that before they moved forward “in truth,” the Lord wanted them to be sure that they had learned the previous truth first. Take some time to reflect how you can become more creative in the worship service in order to have greater attention from your hearers.

By: Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and Second Billion Network

We will continue this series next month. Join us then!

13.  People do not want to only hear reasons, but to see visions.

We often allow our Western culture to determine how we study, think and present our messages on a weekly basis.  We often forget that most of the people are simply trying to “hack it on Monday.”  If the preacher is not careful, he will say more and more about less and less, without solving the big issues of life.  We must choose creative metaphors and build bridges from the ancient biblical past to the contemporary realities.  Additionally, how people view the preacher has a lot to do with how they will listen and respond to the message they have just heard in the worship service.  Our sermon does not begin when we “open our mouths” to speak, but when we are first seen in the church service.  People are constantly sizing us up during the worship time and the giving of the offering.

Here are three major areas of consideration to help people see visions:
Eye Factor:
1.    Eye communication
2.    Posture and movement
3.    Facial expressions and gestures
4.    Dress and appearance
Energy Factor:
5.    Voice and vocal variety
6.    Language and non-words
7.    Listener involvement
8.    Humor
Example Factor:
9.    Be your natural self

By: Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and Second Billion Network

Tune-in tomorrow for the fourteenth law of communication.

12. The difference between a foul ball and a home run is timing.

The greatest of baseball players have learned this principle from the earliest of years. If one wants to hit the ball over the fence, then the timing will have to be impeccable. People do not come to church today to watch us hit foul balls each week. There are several areas of timing that need our attention today:

1. Sermon series need to be timed correctly. When the pastor is planning a series, much thought needs to be given as to what will be preached before and after the series. If there is a national or international event that needs to be addressed, then the series needs to be interrupted to demonstrate timeliness.
2. Every sermon should not be preached the same way. The story is told of two laymen having breakfast, talking about their individual pastors. One gentleman said, “Our pastor’s message always sounds like, ‘Ding, Dong. Ding, Dong.’” The other gentleman at the breakfast table said, “Well, at least you have some variety in your pastor’s sermons. We only hear, ‘Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding.’”
3. The timing of when the message is to be delivered in the worship service should be varied from time to time. I will say more about this later.
4. The study time of the pastor during each week needs to be developed to be advantageous for the sermon’s success. A successful routine will reduce the amount of time required and increase the level of weekly results.

The preacher who is always accessible to people will not hit many home runs on Sunday.

By: Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and Second Billion Network

Tune-in Monday for the thirteenth law of communication.

11.  Whatever looks easy in public was hard in private.

Every time I watch a pole vaulter jog out into the center of the field and easily jump more than twenty feet over the bar, I stand in total amazement.  Every time I listen to the most trained voice hit the highest notes, my spirit soars with the deepest of appreciation for such talent.  When I listen to a master teacher expound the Word of God, my heart kneels with me.  Whatever looks easy in public was hard in private.

My daughter, Olivia, and I were conversing the other day.  Please keep in mind that she is only seven years old, but I am determined to teach her principles that will help her long after Dad has graduated for eternity.  I said to her, “Olivia, as you grow older you will hear people say, ‘Practice makes perfect.’  Do not believe this philosophy.  It is the right practice that makes perfect.”

If you do not believe this is true, then practice hard the game of tennis until you master it, and then go out and play a professional football game and see how well you do.  You will be no match because the rules of tennis do not apply to the rules of football.

If we desire to master our “preaching craft” then we have to know the biblical, practical and logical rules and be able to apply the right practice to achieve excellent results.  I challenge you to make a list of who you consider to be the masters of preaching today.  Once you have prepared this list, then make an appointment to go meet them on your next vacation.  You will be amazed as your preaching ministry takes on new flavors; your impact will deepen quickly as well.

By: Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and Second Billion Network

Tune-in tomorrow  for the twelfth law of communication.

10.  The mind craves order, not chaos.

Once the mind has been shaped by a new idea, it will never retain its original shape.  When I listen to a preacher who has no structure to his or her message, then I know there was not much time given to the presentation.  Our Lord brought his universe out of chaos into order.  When one observes the systems of the universe, it becomes obvious that “things did not just happen,” but there was a Master designer behind it all.

When we stand to present the living Word of God with organized excellence, we give a positive reflection to our audience about what we believe about the Bible and King of the Universe.  People reject what they cannot understand and will not follow us if they cannot see the road ahead of them.  God made us this way.  When people come to the worship service on Sunday, they have not spent much time, if any, thinking about what we are going to preach that morning.  It is therefore imperative that we come with an organized message that will capture their interest from the beginning and carry them to the conclusion.

By: Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and Second Billion Network

Tune-in tomorrow for the eleventh law of communication.

9.  If the presenter speaks offensively, people will respond defensively.

The gospel is “good news” not bad news.  A lot of preachers today are known for what they are against rather than what they are for.  Of course, we are to preach about sin and to point people from everywhere to only one way, through Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit greatly convicted me of this in the 1990s.

If I tell a humorous story or joke at the expense of a represented group of people, then have just torn down a communicate bridge at someone’s expense.  When I attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I heard Chuck Swindoll say, “We have not been called to war with our audience, but to win our listeners.  We have not been called to embarrass, but to evangelize; not to push them away, but to pull them close.”

By: Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and Second Billion Network

Tune-in tomorrow for the tenth law of communication.

Last month, we began a look the 21 Laws of Communication by Dr. James O. Davis. Let’s continue that series by looking at the eighth law.

8.  Presentations mostly do not fail because of logistics, but because the presenter does not know the audience.

Oftentimes the presenter is blaming the wrong thing or the wrong person when a speech or sermon does not go as well as hoped.  I realize that there are circumstances that come our way from time to time beyond our control.  Sometimes the electricity can go out; the air conditioning fails, the DVD can freeze and even babies can begin crying.  Yet, the polished presenter has learned how to turn these seeming negatives into positive ways to communicate the gospel.

While studying sermonizing, I have come to the conclusion that we need to know our sermons cold and not just hot.  In other words, if the alarm fails to go off this coming Sunday and we have to rush to the morning worship service, we should know our sermon so well that we know it even cold, without having had time to renew it our heart and spirit.

There is power in the pause when unforeseen problems come to our presentation.  If you know the message cold, then you will be prepared when problems come your way.  However, if you know the message but do not understand your audience, then you will still fail in your presentation.  I have heard preachers say some of the most unkind things in my life.  You can dress like you are intelligent, but everyone will know the truth when you open your mouth.

By: Dr. James O. Davis, Founder of Cutting Edge International and Second Billion Network

Tune-in tomorrow for the ninth law of communication.