After several years of being a Blackberry guy, I recently switched from the AT&T network back to Sprint and picked up an HTC Hero using the Android operating system. It’s been fun discovering new Android apps over the last few weeks. Here’s my current list of favorites:

• Amazon – It allows me to scan barcodes on books in Barnes & Noble and see what the comparable price is on Amazon.
• Barcode Scanner – I can scan anything with a barcode and shop online using Google Shopper.
• Evernote – It’s the primary way I document everything I do in meetings including capturing pictures of whiteboard sessions.
• Expensify – When I travel, this app let’s me track expenses, upload receipts, track mileage and request reimbursements.
• Fandango – I can browse movies, find theaters and purchase tickets from my phone.
• Golf Channel Mobile – This app is going to come in handing this week as I follow the Masters coverage.
• Google Voice – It’s one of the key reasons I never switched to an iPhone. I use Google Voice for all my calls.
• Live Scores – Provides updates on NCAA, NFL, MLB, etc. scores.
• NewsRob – This is an app that allows me to read Google Reader content offline.
• Pandora – It’s still my favorite mobile app for streaming music. (My favorite is the Justin Timberlake channel.)
• PDAnet – The app provides the ability to tether for Internet access.
• Redbox Codes – Allows me to get free DVD rentals from Redbox kiosks.
• Seesmic – Even though I still use Tweetdeck on my laptop, I’m using Seesmic for Twitter on my mobile.
• Shazam – A nifty tool that listens to music on the radio and then identifies the track, album and artist.
• Sprint Navigation – Powered by telenav, this has been a huge time saver now that we’re trying to get our way around Atlanta traffic.
• SprintTV – My favorite channel is the new live streaming of ESPN. Love it!
• TripIt – I’m able to forward confirmations for flights, hotels and cars and this app tracks my itineraries.
• TV.com – I can watch clips and full episodes of CBS programming.
• WordPress – The app allows me to manage TonyMorganLive.com on the fly.
• YouVersion – This let’s me connect to the online Bible reading site including over 40 translations and 20 reading plans.
• Zillow Real Estate – Helps us find homes for sale and home values as we’re trying to hunt down our next home.

Those are my favorites. What am I missing?

I had a fascinating visit last week with the guys at Clark at their home offices near Atlanta. They took me into their new theater where I was able to see a demonstration of their holographic technology. It’s very likely the future of video for churches that are embracing technology to deliver content to multi-site locations.

Check out the picture above. That’s me on the right. That’s a holograph on the left. It’s my first time sharing the platform with a holograph.

Pricing is coming down quickly to the point that I won’t be surprised if we see this technology implemented in churches within the next 12 months. Interestingly enough, this solution that Clark is offering is unique in that churches don’t have to use special cameras to capture the content and deliver the holographic images.

I love these days we live in. It’s amazing to me how quickly technology is shifting the way we interact with each other.

As more and more churches embrace multi-site, one of the first issues that ministries have to wrestle with is whether to invest in technology to deliver messages live or to consider the cheaper (and sometimes more reliable) option of just using a DVD of the message. For those churches that choose the latter and don’t have a Saturday evening service for recording the message, that often means they’re operating on a week-delay at their remote campuses.

Before folks began to embrace social media, the option of week-delay was very viable. In fact, in many respects it could be preferable because you have much more flexibility with the timing of the services and the length of the service elements leading up to the message.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you view it), social media changes the game. Now folks are sharing thoughts and reactions about their experiences as the services are taking place. People are using Facebook and Twitter to let their friends know what’s happening as the service unfolds. Then it’s not uncommon for someone, possibly even the teaching pastor, to summarize the highlights of the service including the message. That potentially creates a challenge for campuses who won’t be viewing that message for another week.

Ironically, the television networks are wrestling with this same issue. In years past, events like award shows were delayed on the west coast to make sure the programming took place in prime time. With the increase in social media, though, folks on the west coast were seeing the results before the programs were televised. As a result, viewers declined. Christina Warren, a blogger for Mashable, recently wrote:

Social media has only made the need for live programming even more clear. In the old days, web forums or IM chats or liveblogs could give people the play-by-play, but people had to know where to look. Now, live events immediately take over Twitter and Facebook streams. If you don’t want the surprise to be spoiled, you pretty much have to stay off any social network during the live telecast.

So the question is will this same dynamic impact churches? Will the increasing use of social media make week-delayed messages a thing of the past? For those of you who are engaged in multi-site and multi-service settings, have you noticed any negative reaction?

Here’s the revised list of various free Web applications that I’m using. I tried to rank these in order of perceived value they add to my life.

1. Gmail – I’ve been using it for years for personal/blog email. Last year I ditched Outlook and am also using it for all work email. Try Gmail Labs for fun beta options.
2. Google Calendar – We’ve been using it for family calendar for several years. Last year I also shifted my work calendar. Now my wife, my assistant and I are all on the same page.
3. WordPress – It’s how I share daily insights about ministry, leadership and life from my blog.
4. Twitter – It’s how I share mini-insights throughout my day.
5. Google Reader – I made the switch from Bloglines to Google Reader within the last year. I use it to track about 100 blogs each day.

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I’m amazed at the number of churches that still view the web as primarily an advertising mechanism to let people know who they are and what they’re doing. Go ahead. Visit several church websites. Really doesn’t even matter what size the church is. With few exceptions, you’ll find their web strategy is essentially a bullhorn approach. The church is standing on a streetcorner of the web yelling at the people passing by:

• “Come to our services on Sunday!”
• “Let me tell you about our men’s ministry!”
• “Join us for the golf tournament or fishing derby!”
• “Serve on one of our ministry teams!”
• “Give money to our church!”
• “Here’s what we believe!”

It’s a one-sided relationship. The church views the web as a place to promote their agenda. No interaction with the audience. No stories of life change. No solutions to help people experience community or discipleship online. At best, you may be able to watch a video of a service, but you certainly won’t have the opportunity to engage a conversation with others about what you’re watching.

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In conversations with several people in recent weeks, I’ve realized it’s been some time since I did a post on Google Reader. If you’re not using Google Reader, you need to try it out. Don’t worry…it’s FREE.

If you’re not using it, you’re wasting a lot of time. You’re likely either cluttering your email inbox with lots of unnecessary enewsletter subscriptions or your surfing from site to site and blog to blog to try to keep up. There’s a better way.

Here’s what Google Reader offers:

• It constantly checks news sites and your favorite blogs for new content.
• It brings all the content to one place.
• It recommends new content based on your reading habits.
• It creates an “easy button” for you to share content with friends.
• It goes with you everywhere, so you can read content on any computer or your phone.

Once you sign up for Google Reader, your next step is to begin subscribing to content. Ever wondered what that icon with the white radio wave-like symbol was all about? That’s an indication that the site you are visiting has an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed available. If you have signed up to use Google Reader, you can just click on that button anywhere on the Web and you’ll have the opportunity to subscribe to the content. It’s simple…really simple.

Now, are you ready to give it a test-drive? Here are the two easy steps to get started.

1. Register for a Google Reader account.

2. Come back to my site and click the “RSS” link.

That’s it. Now you know why they call it “really simple syndication.” Here’s the best part, you can also subscribe to other websites using your same Google Reader account.

Hope you enjoy the new, free tool. Let me know what you think.

As you might guess from following my blog or Twitter feeds, I’m a big fan of free. I use a number of free web and phone applications to manage my life. However, not everything I use is free. There are a few applications for which I’ve been willing to lay down some cold, hard cash. When I looked at the price tag, I determined the added value was worth the expense.

With that in mind, here are the current apps I’m using that were not free:

Dropbox – This web app syncs all my files across all my computers and then allows me to access the files anywhere there’s an Internet connection. No more worries about whether or not the backup really worked. No more fears of losing music or family pictures. No more complicated migrations when I get a new computer. All my data is available to me all the time. Love this app!

Eventbrite – Until someone develops a free alternative (I’m pulling for you Joshua), Eventbrite is the best solution I’ve found to process registrations for events. If your event is free, so is the service. If you charge a fee, they’ll grab a small percentage. It’s worth it, though, for the integration with PayPal and all the additional functions if offers to communicate with registrants.

Salesforce.com – I played with Highrise and a couple of other free solutions, but Salesforce.com won me over when it comes to a web solution for managing ministry relationships. I’m juggling dozens of conversations each week, and there’s absolutely no way I could keep it all straight if my assistant and I weren’t tracking it all through Salesforce.com. It’s a powerful tool.

Things – This is the newest tool in my arsenal. Until Google improves the task manager in Gmail and in the Google Calendar, Things will probably be my task manager of choice. You’ll only find it for the Mac, and it fully integrates with iCal and Mail. I really like the quick entry feature that can be used in whatever application I have open.

WordPress – Ah…this is a trick. The blogging app is free, but it’s really not. I’ve paid for design, development and hosting to use WordPress. At the end of the day, though, I think I’ve ended up with a better product than when I was using TypePad. Much more flexibility with WordPress, and it’s a lot easier to manage content.

WorldMate – This may be my favorite app for my BlackBerry. Now that I’m traveling more, I rely on it to sync my itineraries with my online calendar and my phone. WorldMate pushes flight status updates directly to my phone. The coolest feature, though, is the ability to just forward email confirmations from airlines, hotels and car rental companies, and then the app automatically translates the confirmations into new itineraries. Can’t imagine traveling without it.

Wufoo – I’ve tried several other options to create online forms including Google’s free form editor, but Wufoo is still the easiest solution around. Any web novice can customize their own forms to add to their website. I’m using several Wufoo forms to make connections with folks on my site. And, it’s the tool I use to collect the answers to the comprehensive survey I offer prior to consulting visits with churches.

If you have a free app you think I should be considering instead of one of these, I’m all ears. And, if you have another app you think I should consider buying, I’d love to hear about it.

This week’s focus is on multi-site strategy. One of the trends that both Jim and Geoff mentioned was the rise of Internet campuses. With that, I thought I’d pursue an interview with someone at North Point Ministries. My good friend John Saddington has helped North Point experience a successful launch to their new site which offers a live service experience. Here’s my interview with John.

TONY: For those folks in blogdom who don’t know your story, tell us about your ministry role at North Point.

JOHN: I am the Creative Web Director and I do whatever I’m told to do. :) In other words, my role is to serve the ministries and organizations within the walls of North Point and help provide them with solutions that fit their needs.

TONY: North Point Online recently launched. What’s the vision for the site?

JOHN: At North Point we strive to create “Irresistible Environments” for all who attend our services in tandem with our “Invest and Invite” strategy. Our goal is to do the same in the online segment and provide a simple communication medium and site that looks good, functions well, and is a place where insiders feel comfortable inviting outsiders. In addition, our desire is to use it as a “connection” point into our great history of grouping and community development.

TONY: Does North Point consider “Online” to be a separate campus of the church or a tool to support the ministries of the existing physical locations?

JOHN: Functionally, North Point Online will be very much like a campus. One of the categorical differences is that it quite literally is an extension of our existing campus in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia: We have a live broadcast of the 6:00pm service where those online can join those in the seats of our auditorium and “Share the Experience,” as we like to say. All that to say, it will function and perform a number of different roles, both as a supporting vehicle for current ministries and the campus as well as an “outpost” for new visitors who would have never grace our walls physically.

TONY: Can an Internet Campus really serve as someone’s church?

JOHN: This is a tricky question and would take much more time to answer and would require a number of clarifying and parallel remarks. So, I’m going to skate past this question by simply saying “Yes” and “No.” Let’s say that our internet campus or experience plays an important role in how we seek to engage with those that have never heard the Gospel or who have become de-churched and are hesitant to re-engage.

TONY: What do you think the next iteration of Internet campuses will look like?

JOHN: One of the transformations that I, personally, think will occur naturally as more time and resources are poured into online experience development is that the so-called Internet Campus will become much more of a focal-point and portal rather than a secondary or sub-level site within the greater ministry web presence. What this could look like in one example is that ultimately the iCampus is the website for the ministry and/or church. Period. Just think of how integrated that approach is! Just think of how effective that might be!

Three things I can do on my Blackberry that you can’t do on your iPhone:

1. Tether to my laptop for Internet access

2. Use Google Voice

3. Make phone calls

You have a fancy phone, but you’re stuck with the AT&T network.

Fortunately, I’m not cool enough to own an iPhone…

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit around a table at Panera and talk about the future of spiritual formation in local churches. I heard the vision from Mark Bankord, the Directional Leader and co-founder of Heartland Community Church in Rockford, Illinois, and Eric Parks, the Chief Creative Officer of monvee.

Here are a few things that distinguished monvee from anything else I’ve seen to help people growth in their faith:

• It’s web-based. People can access it at any time.
• It doesn’t involve the creation of new church programs, but it connects people to their local church.
• It walks people through a discovery process to identify their personalized spiritual growth plan. This is not a one-size-fits-all strategy or program.
• It recommends resources and practices to help people experience growth through their time, their mind, their experiences and their relationships.
• Even though this is a web-based solution, it helps bring people together.
• It is built to get smarter and recommend better resources as more people use the system.
• It measures spiritual growth rather than ministry participation.
• It has helpful dashboards built into the system to help church leaders monitor their spiritual growth of their people.
• Oh…and it doesn’t hurt that guys like John Ortberg and Dallas Willard have been involved in shaping the solution.

monvee is in beta right now. In fact, your church may be interested in participating. If so, church leaders can learn more about the beta phase and apply to join.

I’ll try to keep you posted as I learn more about this new tool to help churches help people grow spiritually.