Free and low cost Software and Resources

This is about good stewardship, not about being anti big business or anti Microsoft or Adobe. Those are good companies and products, but there is more out there that is just as good for a whole lot less. If you are a Christian in ministry, or lead a church, you must remember good stewardship with God’s resources.

Office Software

Open Office, http://www.openoffice.org/ You do not need to pay $200 to over $400 per computer for an office suite or $100 per year via cloud subscription. Unless you do compacted macros, this does it all and more that you would think and does pdf and dox files too.

Libre Office http://www.libreoffice.org/is the best free power-packed open source personal productivity suite for Windows, Macintosh and Linux, that gives you six feature-rich applications for all …

Email Reader

Mozilla Thunderbird https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/ an excellent alternative to Outlook and does more and is more stable. The company is created by a global non-profit dedicated to putting individuals in control and shaping the future of the web for the public good.

Graphics, why spend $700+ when you can get just a good to do it all for much less?

GIPM http://www.gimp.org/ Just as good as Photoshop. The GNU Image Manipulation Program, for X Windows systems. Official site, including download area, documentation, FAQs, and a plugin registry.

Xara http://www.xara.com/us/ is renowned for making quality website and graphic design software for professionals and novices at a price which won’t break the bank.

Printing , save hundreds of $$ over the Office Stores or Kinko’s for the same quality!

Next Day Flyers, Flyers, brochures, banners, http://www.nextdayflyers.com/Online printing company, Next Day Flyers, prints over 1 million pieces a day. 100% money back guarantee on printed business cards, brochures, flyers & more!

Visa Print, http://www.vistaprint.com , save a lot over the Office stores and Kinko’s.

Labels, http://www.surething.com/, Easily create cd/dvd labels with easy to use cd label software, supervibrant cd/dvd labels, jewel case inserts, dvd case insert to make your projects pop.

Sermons and audio podcast recording

Audacity, http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Audio editor for recording, slicing, and mixing audio. Site includes help, downloads, and developer information. (C++) [Cross-platform]

Management Software, so many churches get duped in paying thousands for programs they will never use or be able to train its staff to use when there is better for much less!

Power Church, http://www.powerchurch.com/ Church Management Software, has never been so affordable or easy to use! Plus makes it easy to manage your membership, non-profit …

Forms for serious websites, http://www.simfatic.com/ Illustrates how Simfatic Forms could be used to add form validations without you writing any code.

Used computers, you do not need new, http://www.geeks.com/ and http://www.internetauctionlist.com/

Operating System that works, http://www.opensuse.org/en/, tired of windows crashing….

More free and low cost best of the best comp software,

http://www.pcworld.com/category/software/

Bible Study Tools and Aids

Free

http://www.intothyword.org/pages.asp?pageid=53515

http://www.BibleGateway.com

Christian Classics Ethereal Library http://www.ccel.org

http://www.preceptaustin.org/

http://www.freebiblesoftware.com/

http://www.e-sword.net/