The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

July 2019
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Tue, 30 July 2019

How Smart Churches Use Social Media To make Better Decisions

Using social media as a church has a number of benefits. For example, you get the opportunity to interact with your congregation beyond Sunday morning. But there’s one particular advantage of social that most churches don’t even consider - and what’s amazing about this social media perk, is that it can actually help you make better decisions in every facet of ministry. Here’s the good news...by the end of this video, you’ll know exactly how to put this overlooked social benefit to use at your church.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/how-smart-churches-use-social-media-to-make-better-decisions/

What's In This Session?

Find the intersection between your vision and what the people want (4:46)
#1. Have you ever seen tweets in my Instagram Feed? Stop the scroll design intersected with content you’ve already responded to positively (6:30)
#2. Which Scripture has been your greatest comfort? (8:40)
58% of Americans want to read the Bible more - Barna (9:33)
#3. What’s your favorite summer time activity? (10:08)
#4. What is your go-to pie? Perfect way to showcase social media in service (10:48)
#5. What’s one of the biggest life changes you’ve made in the last five years? (13:34)
#6. Elimination - Pizza, tacos, burgers, chicken wings (15:28)
#7. Would you rather have the strength of Samson or the wisdom of Solomon? (17:46)
#8. Do you have a good dog or pet? Let’s see photos! (18:55)
#9. What’s your favorite worship song that we currently sing at church? (20:23)
User feedback is one of the most important things organizations can gather; start an Evernote and just save this stuff for when you need it; the combination of user feedback paired with vision is the ultimate (21:38)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: Podcast-01-How-Smart-Churches-Use-Social-Media-To-Make-Better-Decisions-114.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Thu, 25 July 2019

The Business Owners Guide To Running A Church [Tips From Ex-Pastors]

I was recently asked the following question: "If you went back to a full time church job - what business lessons would you take with you in order to be more effective?” And this episode of Pro Church Tools is the answer to that question. Not only will you hear from me though, but friends of mine who are also former church leaders and pastors that have since launched their own businesses. Here are the lessons we’ve learned from running businesses, that we’d bring to a church.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/the-business-owners-guide-to-running-a-church/

What's In This Session?

If you went back to a full time church job, what business lessons would you take with you in order to be more effective? (1:02)
#1: Measurement/metrics (1:16)
#2: Hiring (2:07)
Justin Dean - That Church Conference: "Build a core team that’s in on the mission and dedicated to the church, but for most positions be open to outsource and hire people who are good at getting the job done. Design, creative, worship, even marketing can all be outsourced with greater results for about the same cost or less." (2:10)
Brady’s business lessons for church (5:25)
#1: 100% separation of church operations from congregational giving (5:50)
Why? Obligation is the enemy of innovation (6:02)
#2: Multi-purpose facilities - We did a whole episode on this (10:20)
Additional streams of revenue (11:02)
I want as many people as possible to be in life giving relationship with Jesus (12:28)
#3: The Central Hub - Focusing on next steps - always pointing to a single destination (14:14)
Why? Metrics and measurements (14:40)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: Podcast-02-The-Business-Owners-Guide-To-Running-A-Church-113.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Tue, 23 July 2019

How To Evangelize in 2019 And Beyond

The prospect of evangelism in today’s tension-filled culture can feel intimidating. Yet as a practicing Christian, you and I both know that being a witness about Jesus is a crucial element of our faith. So how do we reconcile this? In this episode of Pro Church Tools, we’ll examine how to evangelize in today’s world - and I’ll even share with you my exact talking points that I use when sharing with someone why I believe in Jesus.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/how-to-evangelize-in-2019-and-beyond/

What's In This Session?

Almost all practicing Christians believe that part of their faith means being a witness about Jesus (95%-97%) - Barna, Reviving Evangelism (0:35)
Millennials in particular feel equipped to share their faith with others. (0:59)
Almost half of Millennials (47%) agree at least somewhat that it is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith. This is compared to a little over one-quarter of Gen X (27%), and one in five Boomers (19%) (1:33)
#1: Acknowledge that evangelism is rarely effective outside of relationship (5:00)
#2: Realize that evangelism is about many decision(s) not a singular decision - spectrum versus on/off switch (8:40)
#3: Don’t feel obligated to “defend” your faith - In the same way that Jesus didn’t need Peter to defend him against the guards that came to arrest Jesus (13:26)
#4: On Earth as it is in Heaven (18:42)
“Out of 100 people, one will read the Bible, the other 99 will read the Christian.” ― D.L. Moody (18:50)
#5: When I do use words, I use this framework: I believe I was put on the Earth to make a difference, I believe the best way to make a difference is through love, and I believe the greatest example of love is Jesus - laying down his life for the goodwill of others - transition into Christianity being about a selfless life and dying to self (19:50)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: Podcast-01-How-To-Evangelize-In-2019-And-Beyond-112.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Thu, 18 July 2019

5 Things Every Church Service Should Include

There are a lot of moving pieces when it comes to planning your church’s services. From scheduling volunteers, to determining what songs you want to sing, announcements, sermon prep - so much goes into a Sunday morning. So what are we missing? In my experience, there are at least five things many churches overlook on a weekend - and by the end of this video, you’ll know what each of those five things is and how to begin incorporating them into your next church service.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/5-things-every-church-service-should-include/

What's In This Session?

#1: Acknowledgement of people who are new (1:45)
#2: Set expectations (5:05)
#3: Next steps promotion (6:43)
#4: Defining of terms - Christianese/theological terms are okay - just make sure it gets defined when used (10:08)
#5: Reiterate vision (13:38)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: Podcast-02-5-Things-Every-Church-Service-Should-Include-111.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Tue, 16 July 2019

Why Millennials Make Such Terrible Employees

There’s a new crop of leaders volunteering and working in churches - and they’re unlike any prior generation to come before them. And this is causing tension with the senior leadership across every denomination and brand of church. So what do we do about it? By the end of this video, you’ll have a greater understanding of how to lead young people in a rapidly changing culture.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/why-millennials-make-such-terrible-employees/

What's In This Session?

The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2019 (1:29)
#1 - Age: Age 17 to 36 in 2019: Largest living generation, largest in workforce, largest voting group (2:18)
#2 - Young people are disillusioned and untrusting (3:43)
#3 - Delays: Home ownership, marriage, parenthood, putting down roots in a job (11:11)
Only 27% of millennials are married (11:27)
More millennials than we have ever surveyed—49 percent—would, if they had a choice, quit their current jobs in the next two years. In our 2017 report, that number was 38 percent (12:11)
Response #1: Talk it out (13:07)
Response #2: Acknowledge the imperfect system and demonstrate empathy and belief (16:45)
Response #3: Build trust and set expectations on both sides (20:18)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: Podcast-01-Why-Millennials-Make-Such-Terrible-Employees-110.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Thu, 11 July 2019

What To Do When Your Church Can't Remember Event Date And Times

Stop me if this has ever happened to you: Someone from your church comes up to you after service in the lobby and asks, “Hey, what time and date is that event again?” Even though you’ve been announcing it for two months - your church still can’t remember important details! Here’s the thing though…in my experience, this is usually the church’s fault - not the congregation. Thankfully, you can fix this! And by the end of this video, you’ll know exactly how.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/what-to-do-when-your-church-cant-remember-event-date-times/

What's In This Session?

Meme in Church Communications FB Group (0:37)
Problem #1: The assumption that just because you announced an event, people will remember what you’re saying (1:39)
Problem #2: Posting event information everywhere to compensate - because announcements apparently aren’t enough! (2:13)
Analogy: Going to the movies (3:00)
How do movies actually work? Inspiration OVER information with movie trailers (4:51)
#1. The Central Hub - One destination for every single next step in your church (6:18)
#2. The 50% Rule For Church Announcements - Stop conditioning your church to ignore announcements (8:18)
#3. The 2-Part Church Announcements Formula - Inspiration over information (9:31)
#4. One Next Step Every Single Time - Head to lifeabundant.info or visit the lifeabundant.info kiosk in the lobby. (10:28)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: JULY_11_PODCAST.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Tue, 9 July 2019

15 Secular Books Church Leaders Should Read

Today, I want to share with you fifteen books that will benefit every church leader. The twist? None of these books are written by church leaders themselves. Instead, the authors are business leaders, financial experts, FBI hostage negotiators, NAVY Seals, and more. And while their vocations may differ from yours, that’s the point! Because the wisdom within these books is applicable anywhere. And by the end of this episode, you’ll surely have a couple of new books to add to your reading list.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/15-secular-books-church-leaders-should-read/

What's In This Session?

Moneyball example (0:39)
Everything Is A Remix (2:02)
#1. Tuesday’s with Morrie, Mitch Albom (3:21)
#2. Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink (4:08)
#3. One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard (4:54)
#4. The E-Myth Revisited, Michael E. Gerber (5:25)
#5. It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work, Jason Fried (7:18)
#6. An astronauts guide to life on earth, Chris Hadfield (7:57)
#7. Atomic Habits, James Clear - Habits determine your destiny (9:00)
#8. The Power Of Habit, Charles Duhigg (9:02)
#9. Never Split The Difference, Chris Voss (10:10)
#10. I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Ramit Sethi (12:14)
#11. The Latte Factor, David Bach (13:40)
#12. The Little Book Of Common Sense Investing, John Bogle (15:30)
#13. Steal The Show, Michael Port (17:49)
#14. Abundance, Peter Diamandis - A case for optimism (18:57)
#15. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis (19:38)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: JULY_9_PODCAST.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Thu, 4 July 2019

5 Ways To Host Better Church Meetings

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/5-ways-to-host-better-church-meetings/

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t enjoy meetings. Why? Well, because they’re often poorly planned and just waste time without actually accomplishing much. But it doesn’t have to be this way! So in this episode of Pro Church Tools, you’ll learn five ways to truly improve your church’s meetings.

What's In This Session?

Disclaimer: Pro Church Tools doesn’t really have meetings because they suck (1:35)
47% of workers complain that meetings are where productivity goes to die. Furthermore, workers consider roughly half of their meetings to be a waste of time, and 73% confess to sneaking in some real work during meetings. (2:23)
#1: Before a meeting ever begins, be ruthless with determining whether or not something deserves a meeting and be ruthless with who you invite (3:35)
#2: Set the meeting’s agenda and send it to everyone ahead of time (5:04)
#3: Deal with the devices (6:33)
#4: Set a start time and end time (regular team meeting? 15 to 30 minutes according to Slack)(7:33)
#5: Be inclusive and fun (rank the Marvel movies, elimination game, etc.) (10:07)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: Podcast-02-5-Ways-To-Host-Better-Church-Meetings-107.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT

Tue, 2 July 2019

The Ultimate 7-Day Social Media Calendar For Churches

Today, you’re going to learn The Ultimate 7-Day Social Media Calendar For Churches. This is the same framework that hundreds of churches around the world are beginning to embrace - and they’re seeing their engagement skyrocket because of it. So buckle up, because by the end of this video, you and your church will have a complete social media posting strategy for every single day of the week.

***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/the-ultimate-7-day-social-media-calendar-for-churches/

What's In This Session?

7 out of every 10 Americans adults is active on Facebook (Pew Research) (1:06)
Millennials and Gen X spend ~7 hours on social each week (Nielsen) (1:12)
The second largest demographic on Facebook is people ages 55+ (Statista) (1:23)
Boomers spend about ~4 hours on social each week overall (Nielsen) (1:29)
Compare social media to traditional media for a moment. Now, these costs will vary per region, but on average an outreach tool like a billboard will cost about ~$3,000/month. Circulating radio ads will set you back about ~$5,000/month. And if you want to do regional television and run a single thirty second ad just once a day you're looking at north of ~$7,500/month (2:10)
This is what makes social media so amazing. Not only is the barrier to entry zero - but even spending just couple hundred bucks a month on your social efforts can actually outpace anything you could do with traditional media that costs 10X-20X more money. (4:24)
THE 3 RULES FOR UNDERSTANDING HOW SOCIAL MEDIA WORKS
Rule #1: Attention is all that matters on social media (4:28)
Rule #2: Stop The Scroll (5:01)
Rule #3: Repeat Equals Defeat (5:14)
The “1-in-5 Rule” (6:51)
Day #1: The Countdown (7:38)
Day #2: The Bible Reading (11:34)
Day #3: The Question (16:00)
Day #4: The List (18:29)
Day #5: The Engagement Booster (21:35)
Day #6: The Church Invitation (25:52)
Day #7: The Sunday Story (28:38)
Question: Is repeating this over and over contrary to repeat equals defeat? (29:30)
Question: How do you create these? (30:05)
Social program promo (32:18)

Show Notes & Resources Mentioned:

Direct download: Podcast-01-The-Ultimate-7-Day-Social-Media-Calendar-For-Churches-106.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:00am EDT