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Understanding and using today's technology for church outreach and the Christian Science practice

"Pracs on the Web": be where the public is searching

When someone is searching for information, where’s the first place they look? More and more, the answer is the Internet. So, where should Christian Science practitioners be sure to have a strong presence? You guessed it—for people to find us, we need to be online!

Laura Matthews, CS, wanted to connect directly with those searching for spiritual help online, so she launched a web site to promote her own practice back in April 2005. Using the know-how she had gained as a former web site managing editor, Laura quickly achieved steady traffic to her new site and a flow of patients from around the world.

When other practitioners saw Laura’s site, they asked her how she did it. So, Laura put together her “Pracs on the Web” conference call series, to walk people through how to get on the Web. The tools available online today make it easy for anyone to launch a do-it-yourself Web site, for minimal investment in time and money. And Laura’s found that having a site pays for itself very quickly, if combined with the other powerful Web tools that encourage interactivity and drive traffic.

“Pracs on the Web” takes you from start to finish on how to create an effective web site. Covering such topics as how to write for the Web, how to find the right Web host, how to take payment online, and how to track site visitors, along with information about Web features like instant messaging and blogging, you'll learn everything you need to know to get your site up and running.

The sessions are informative and detailed, while still being interactive and fun. The response from graduates has been strong, not only about the course content but about the opportunity to get to know fellow practitioners. One wrote, “I feel ready to get into developing my web site with confidence and with a group of people I can call on.”

The “Pracs on the Web” series is made up of four conference calls, one per week for four weeks. A new series starts each month. For more information or to get on the e-mailing list, contact Laura at laura@lbmatthews.com. You can also visit Laura’s healing practice web site at www.lbmatthews.com.

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