Comments on: Why I took a break from mychurchwebsite.com

By: ChurchWebGuy

ChurchWebGuy — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:22:29 +0000

Ah thanks for the insight. I had been wondering why the site was not taking new clients.

Do you refer clients to other vendors? Is this something you would consider?

Aaron-
Church-Box.com

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 01 May 2007 15:02:28 +0000

Hey jayson, thanks for posting that! It’s weird, even though I’m doing church web design and graphics, I still feel like there is more I have to do. Maybe not to replace that stuff, but in addition to. And not because I feel guilty, but because I feel a burden.

I would say, don’t worry if you can’t possibly find a way to make a living doing something that makes eternal differences. But make sure that you do spend time outside your work pursuing things that really do matter. I mean, if all christians had a job doing things that made eternal differences in peoples lives, no one would be in the real workforce reaching lost people. So maybe thats why God has you there now.

By: Jayson

Jayson — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 08:40:33 +0000

Mike, thanks for taking the time to post this. I can definately identify with what you’re talking about.

I got into the web years ago when I started a forum for believers, but through one step then another eventually found my way to a digital marketing agency where I am now responsible for positioning fortune 500 companys’ websites in search engine results through strategic and technical consultation.(babble for I make sites show up in Google :) )

I fell in love with the fact that I got to work on the websites of some of America’s best known brands, controlling marketing campaigns worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, promoting one brand over another, manipulating searchers into clicking through my clients listings etc… personal pride and greed became my motivation.

Now I find myself wrestling with God regarding my purpose - I love what you said “I wasn’t doing anything for God really. I wasn’t contributing to anything that mattered.”

I know exactly how that feels. I reeled when I read that. My colleagues and peers can’t understand why I am so dissatisfied despite growing success in a ‘kooshy job’ - but I know.

I’m not sure what exactly I’ll do about it, but reading your ‘testimony’ has helped me realize that I’m tired of wrestling, of dissatisfaction, and of living outside of my core purpose.

Again, thanks for taking the time to share.

- Jayson

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:40:02 +0000

Hey david, thanks for writing :-) I have thought about doing that but the problems with releasing my components are that once they are out there, everyone now has free access to them and I’d have to worry about troubleshooting problems too (which I unfortunately dont have time to do). Plus it decreases the value of churches using my services if they really dont need to. If i can offer them something special that others cannot, then there is much more value in choosing me.

There are a ton of new people everyday setting up businesses using joomla. While its great, not everyone will succeed. The only way I feel people will is if they can offer a product that no one else can offer them. Thats why I first focus on the design of my site and then once people are happy with that, I then try to offer them functionality that they can’t get by just using off-the-shelf joomla.

So for now, I need to keep the components with my clients. I’m sure eventually, some company will come along and create some for churches that you can buy.

By: David R.

David R. — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:31:03 +0000

Wow…I loved your story also. I can imagine you would be burned out from those kind of hours. I run a web design company in Dallas, Tx and we do some Church websites and also use Joomla. Since you are not taking on many new clients would you be interested in selling some of your custom components that you and your programmer created for joomla.

Thank You and I look forward to finding out more about your new venture.

Thanks
David

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 05:13:23 +0000

Thanks for reply and the questions :-) I didn’t hire anyone because I didn’t ever intend on turning this into a business that I have to manage. Once you start hiring other people, it turns into a whole new ballgame and I wasn’t prepared to take the time to do all that. It’s easier just to get freelancers to help rather than hire.

As far as the CMS, the foundation is joomla but my programmer and I have changed alot of the core in it and also have made our own custom components and modules you can’t find anywhere else.

Hope that helps! mike

By: Wilf Noordermeer

Wilf Noordermeer — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 04:10:08 +0000

I loved your story … it didn’t bore me at all. I want to wish you all the best on your new (mysterious) venture.

Two questions:
1. Why didn’t you hire someone and start to build a business … or alternatively, take on a partner?
2. What CMS do you use?

By: J. Aaron

J. Aaron — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 02:44:59 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing… Talking about yourself may not be fun for you, but your story is one of the most important things that God has given you to share. God desire the one thing from you that no one else can give him–Your heart–and he wants you to share the only unique thing you have to give others–Your story! Neither one of those things can ever be duplicated… Your story has encouraged me, as I’m facing a very scary transition of my own. Thanks! I pray that God would bring you a community that can meet your needs, and that He would guide you every step of the way…

Meanwhile, check out http://www.philvischer.com and read his story–he talks about how God gave him his dream, only to take it away later, and what he’s learned in the process… Hope it encourages you as well…