Five free and discounted digital services for churches
Is your church paying for something that it could get for free (or a discount)? Julie Raffety, a pastor and website developer, shares five resources every church should know about.
More Stories from this Author
Cheers: The vital role of encouragement in our faith life
Julie Raffety writes about the value of encouragement in our lives, especially in matters of faith.
What “Dateline” teaches me about love and loss
Julie Raffety confesses her appreciation for "Dateline" and what it teaches her about how to comfort those who mourn.
Part-time pastors: No longer unicorns
When it comes to being a bi-vocational pastor in the PC(USA), Julie Raffety shares her experience of what works and what expectations need adjusting.
Dismantling the patriarchy
Julie Raffety, a minister of Word and Sacrament, shares her experience as a female pastor, why it makes her angry some days, and how God calls her to fight for something better.
Books we love: With
Rev. Julie Raffety reviews Skye Jethani's book about four common perspectives in the American church that try to control God. In contrast, Jethani promotes the goal of having a relationship with God, simply for the joy of God.
The digital expansion of the Spirit
Julie Raffety, who pastors a smaller church, marvels at how the Spirit is doing a new thing at their church through technology.
Black sheep, reluctant leaders and listening to the Holy Spirit
May those of us who need a nudge have the strength, courage, and clarity to embrace the holy discomfort to step into the spotlight, speak up at the table when we have the least privilege and stand out as our true selves when God calls us.
Growing to love Ash Wednesday
Julie Raffety grew up without celebrating Ash Wednesday but now finds the hands-on, participatory nature of the ritual to be grounding.
Finding my vote on session
I have been voting in every presidential and state election since I was 18. But 2020 was the year God taught me..
Offensive grace: when it’s not “fair”
I think we’ve all heard someone older than us begin a sentence with, “When I was a kid …” The most famous..
The roller coaster of joys and concerns
On Sundays, we always have a section of the worship entitled “Joys and Concerns and Prayers of the People.” It’s a time..
Tech watch: Facebook Live
Until recently, using Facebook Live for worship had the limitation of only allowing one live video presenter. Facebook has recently added the..
Is God into camping?
This summer, I read and preached on the stories of King David in 1 and 2 Samuel. Of course, we covered the..
Tech watch: MailChimp
Many churches are leveraging email more than print these days — or at least they are trying! The two most popular options..
Tech watch: Google Workspace
Want to have one platform for email, communication and file storage for the church? Check out Google Workspace for nonprofits. Both churches..
Tech watch: TechSoup
What’s the first thing you should do to get your church ready to engage technology in ministry? Get a TechSoup account! As..
Finding God
One year I took a 4 a.m. Christmas morning airport shuttle alone with a sweet driver. “Merry Christmas,” he said and handed..
“Churches” of individuals
From toilet paper stockpiling to gas hoarding to not wearing a mask when asked — we still haven’t figured out how to..
God with us in the listening
I remember being selected for an exercise on active listening while I was in seminary — trust me, I did not volunteer. ..
“I can be the villain”
Yes, I will admit I stole this title from the new country song by Lily Rose. The song is, of course (it’s..
Clutch colleagues
In a year of lament, it is a challenge to find and celebrate joy. “What is your joy this year?” our church..
Pandemic ministry: Lessons learned from navigating snow
In addition to the global pandemic that we are all navigating our way through in our many different contexts (for me, that..
Who prays for you?
I recently began meeting with a new spiritual director. At the beginning of our session, she asked if I would like to..
Nobody special
I don’t remember the first time someone told me that Catholics believe that priests have a special divine connection to God, but..