Attention Christian bloggers: Is there anything that could be added to a WordPress theme that would make it easier to blog about your faith?
A couple things come to mind: built-in handling of the bibleref microformat (to automatically link to an online Bible or show the verse in a tooltip, for example); special styling for Scripture quotations; special widgets for Bible search, verse of the days, and so on.
All/most of these things have WordPress plugins available, and in the interest of decreasing the number of plugins that have to be used, what kind of things would make blogging theology, faith, and devotions easier or more appealing to your readers?
Speaking on behalf of Churches all over, I think full and complete integration with WordPress MU will be essential. One package, making it easy for the Pastor, Youth Pastor, Deacons, and whoever else to all have a blog under the same roof. Thesis and WPUltimate would both be excellent themes for WordPress MU. With their flexibility, each blog could easily get it’s own look, while making life a lot easier for the guy maintaining the back end. Both themes would need to come up with a remarkably versatile home page option though.
THANK YOU! I never even thought to check for plugins for adding Bible verses. After reading your email, I immediately went to the plugin installer and discovered several interesting, applicable ones for my site. May I ask which you’ve found best? Then I can start with a pre-tested one :) :) :)
I like the idea of the special styling. I currently use RefTagger plugin and I love it. I love that people can read the passage just by rolling their mouse over the passage.
Actually, Kaye, I haven’t used any — at least not in recent memory (going back 2+ years, maybe) — so I can’t speak to the quality of any of the currently available plugins.
I’m not sure what you’d want, Shawn; I’m not too familiar with WordPressMU or sites built with it. I would assume (I know, that’s dangerous) that most themes at least *work* just fine as themes users can choose for their blogs under WordPressMU — even the options pages. You’re right, though, about the home template — the more flexible it is, the better it’d be. I suspect BuddyPress has the best example of this.
I’ve tinkered around with special styling ideas in the past, Lori… I’m by no means a designer, so what I come up with probably be disliked by most. Anything in particular that you’d like special styling available for?
Rick, I just installed WordPress MU yesterday afternoon so I could get some hands on time with it (basic setup with MU/BuddyPress/bbPress, but look if you want, http://thattalldude.info). I see some serious potential for a few projects I’ve been contemplating.
Thesis/WP Unlimited would work fine on it for user blogs, but I’d love to see them with full support for the home page and [buddypress] member pages, including a bbPress skin would be a major bonus.
From what I hear, WordPress MU and regular WordPress will eventually become one and the same (who knows when though), so the first few quality [affordable] themes out of the gate will get major traction. I’m hoping it’s a theme I already have experience with.