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October 2011

Churches! Ready, Set, Dive into Social Media

Part 5: Social Media MinistryWhere do you start?

In previous posts we’ve advised every congregation to start a Social Media Ministry committee. So what’s next? In the next series of posts, we’ll explore the very first steps to getting started.

The world of social media is changing very quickly. This can be intimidating. We recommend that your committee members become familiar with a couple of web sites that will give you tons of ideas, help, and most of all encouragement.

2×2 will provide helpful tips periodically so don’t overlook us! Meanwhile, here are two expert sources that have demonstrated integrity and reliability.

socialmediaexaminer.com
This web site reaches out of your computer screen and leads you by the hand. It provides a steady stream of information and directs you to sites and experts that are tested and reliable. Your committee members can subscribe to the daily e-newsletter for FREE. In addition, the SocialMediaExaminer offers regular month-long webinars on various topics that are worth the price of admission. (No travel — all web-based.) These are held roughly quarterly and characteristically consist of 17 sixty-minute webinars and tons of additional archived resources. The cost varies — about $300 for first-time early registration and less as you become an alum. Each series of webinars has a community forum which remains active long after the webinars end, so you have a place to ask questions and find help.

hubspot.com
Hubspot sells analytical software and hosting. They are dedicated to helping organizations grow through their web presence in ways they can measure. While using their software would be helpful to any church’s evangelism goals, it is pricy (but worth it) to get started. While you consider this value, you can subscribe to their site and immerse yourself in their tons and tons of great content about how to use social media — all of which is FREE.

There is an overflowing fountain of resources available on the web. We recommend these two to start. Both websites link generously to other experts in the social media field. They will help you search for what will work for you.

Our next post will be about blogging.

22 Oct 2011

Budget Time! Does Your Church Have Money for Ministry?

Churches need to rethink how they fund their ministries.It is unfortunate that church budgets are often prepared at the busiest time of the church year — Advent and Christmas — in preparation for congregational meetings in the early part of the following year.

Often they look at the current year’s spending and tweak the numbers here and there and wrap it up into a package for the congregation’s approval.

That’s why we are putting in a word now for congregations to think about budgeting for MINISTRY. That’s different than budgeting for a MINISTER. The minister and your lay leaders need money to do the work. Failure to provide money for ministry leaves your church leadership with three common conditions:

  1. Reliance on the paid pastor for all leadership, creating whatever ministry is within his/her interests and skill set.
  2. Constantly soliciting volunteers and trying to grow your church with whatever skills you can muster (which are ever-changing and likely becoming more difficult to find).
  3. Existing in the status quo, enjoying the talents that your current team has for as long as they can provide them. (Then what?)

The failure of church budgets to provide money for ministry is probably the foundation of a lot of church conflict!

This common budgeting scenario has many churches hog-tied. Whenever a ministry opportunity arises that requires funding of even a small amount of money or requires skills the congregation cannot find within its membership, church leaders shake their heads and say, “It’s not in the budget. Maybe next year.” or “We don’t have the people.” But next year the same thing happens and they still don’t have the people.

Consequently, congregations are forced to say “no” to the very activities which would would help them grow and fulfill their mission.

In a fast-changing world it is impossible to forecast every need and opportunity.

Congregations must look beyond satisfying their minister’s compensation package and the hungry demands of brick and mortar if they are going to have the flexibility and skills to provide ministry.

Churches should create a Ministry Fund that gets regular care and feeding. This Fund should be available to fund unexpected opportunities for mission. A good goal to be achieved over time would be to have an equal amount of money for ministry as you have for a minister. Start where you are and find a way to get there! If you are successful in reaching that goal, resist the temptation to use the money to hire a second minister. A church needs working capital and many skills. Hiring one person will use your resources and limit your ministry to his or her skills. You want as many hands working at ministry as possible!

Perhaps the congregation can start such a fund with seed money and then fund it with a percentage of offerings. Create guidelines for requests and use. By all means, work within the governing rules of your congregation, but find a way to fund the work of the church.

Knowing there are resources to work with could energize your ministry! When someone in the congregation learns of a promising program, training session, or ministry opportunity, your leaders can nod their heads and say “We can help.”

21 Oct 2011

How to Create A Social Media Committee for Evangelism in a New World

Going into all the world to preach the gospel has never been easier.In a previous post, we recommended renaming your Evangelism Committee the Social Media Committee. Evangelism today must embrace social media. Changing the name will
• remind you to use social media,
• attract the interest of young people whose lives revolve around social media, and
• communicate to your neighborhood that you are serious about your message.

1. Explore Social Media

The most up-to-date information is online. There are many books but they get outdated quickly. Many good websites provide FREE training (socialmediaexaminer.com, hubspot.com, are rich sources of information and training, much of it FREE). If you want to do your own search, start by looking in the search engines for articles on “Content Marketing” or “Inbound Marketing.” (Don’t be put off by the terms. Marketing is the secular term for Evangelism!)

2. Review your church membership and look for people with the following skills:

• passion to spread the Gospel
• good communicator
• is a social person (very important)
• uses social media (this may mean recruiting youth that you might otherwise overlook)
• basic computer skills
• has some experience with Facebook or web design
• likes to write
• can use a digital camera or video camera

Do not try to find all these skills in one person. Social Media Ministry needs the skills of several people. This is simply a guideline. You do not have to have all of these skills represented on your committee to get started.

3. If you have difficulty finding the skills and interests within your congregation, look outside.

This media is too important to ministry to resist with “but we don’t have the people.” Find the people. Try for volunteers first but if that proves difficult, create a budget and pay for some expertise to get started. This can be a short-term commitment.

Follow or join online communities. You will find lots of help online for free. You will be surprised at how many people are eager to help. This may seem daunting at first, but you will learn to trust the online community to help. (Leave questions here in our comment boxes, we’ll be glad to post them and help you find answers to your questions!)

As you search for committee members, tell people: Our congregation is starting a social media ministry, and we are looking for someone to set up a blog and create a Facebook community. As you engage in conversation let them know you will be using a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Start talking about your plans in the community. Talk to the parents of kids in your day school, if you have one. Talk to the Scouts or other groups that may use your building. Put a small ad in the local paper or a sign on the grocery store bulletin board. If you think it will help, offer to pay someone short-term to train your committee or get you started with a blog. That’s the biggest hurdle — getting started.

Don’t overlook youth. This is a medium young people thoroughly understand, and is it a way they can contribute to their church. A young person might be willing to undertake this as a confirmation project or even a Senior Project in his or her school.

If your pastor understands social media, great! If not, find a way to get clergy on board. Pastors should jump at the chance to reach a greater audience than those who attend church. If they need training, help them find it. Again, there is ample training available on line for free. At the very least, encourage them to be enthusiastic supporters.

Churches say they are looking for change. Social Media is a change agent.

4. Your first meeting.

This is all the farther we are going to go in this post, but we thought you’d need to know what to talk about at your first meeting. A good social media plan begins with a blog. At your first meeting, talk about setting up a blog and brainstorm for ideas for content to put on the blog. Once you have a plan, it will be easy to assign tasks to committee members. We’ll cover this on our next post.

19 Oct 2011

Social Media Can Help Your Church Make a Good First Impression

Part 3: Social Media MinistryToday, when someone visits your church, it is likely they have already formed their first impression of your congregation from their online search. Congregations need to put their best foot forward on their web sites.

Here’s a list of questions to consider:
(This list was derived from our visits to 32 churches in the last 14 months.)

  • Is service information easy to find?
    It should be boldly displayed on the home page.
  • Is the service time correct?
    Ten percent of the churches we visited had wrong times listed on their web sites.
  • Is parking available in a lot or on the street? What buses or trains are nearby?
    Some congregations we visited had information printed in their church bulletin that parking was available at neighboring businesses. Too late!
  • Is the entrance they are to use obvious?
    We had trouble figuring which door to use on occasion.
  • Is the phone number you want people to call prominently displayed?
    Adding office hours and the name of the person likely to answer is also helpful. It puts a face on your community. For example: For more information about our services, call Lois at the church (555) 321-5432, weekdays between or 9 am and 1 pm. Our answering machine provides basic information 24/7.
  • Can web viewers ask questions online (email or Facebook) and be assured of an answer within 24 hours? People expect this these days!
  • Is there a warm welcome from church leaders (clergy and lay) with photos and a little background?
    Visitors will recognize leaders when they visit and have some information to ease conversation. You might even give visitors a prompt such as “When you visit, ask for Gus or Mary. They’ll be glad to give you a tour.”
  • Is there a date for the last update of the site?
    Many sites we visited had not been updated in years, even listing pastors who had left long before. Timely updates reveal that your church is on their toes.
  • Is new information prominent with older information archived?
    Old information is fun and can show your congregation’s personality, but the first images and information should be about the immediate future or very recent past.
  • Is there time for fellowship before church or after church?
    If visitors want to mix and meet your members they need to know if they should arrive early or plan to stay later. Invite them to fellowship. At several of the churches we visited, the congregation disappeared quickly after worship to a side room or basement area for fellowship without announcing fellowship or inviting visitors.
  • How long is your service expected to be?
    We encountered several services that were two or three hours long. Visitors need to know if a service is expected to be more than an hour long.
  • Is your service contemporary, liturgical, multicultural, or multilingual?
  • Are there helpful details about your next service?
    Will communion be offered? Is it a special Sunday? Will there be a blessing of pets or a baptism/confirmation? One church we visited was having a special meeting to call a pastor. Our visit seemed intrusive and we left.
  • Is child care available?
    Not everyone is comfortable leaving a child in a nursery with people they don’t know. Will their children be welcome in worship?
  • Will there be a children’s sermon?
    Families may like to know.
  • Engage your potential visitors from the start.
    Give a teaser. Ask a question that will be answered in the sermon!
18 Oct 2011

Top Ten Things Church Web Sites Do Wrong

Part 2: Social Media MinistryThe interenet is the most powerful resource the church is not using.2×2 visits churches and before our visits we do a little research beginning with visiting church web sites. We’ve seen many very poor web sites and a few clean and sleek designs. Frankly, even the best church web sites are missing opportunities made available by today’s technology. Here are the top ten mistakes churches make in their web-based ministries.

1. It’s all about them.

Most church web sites give internet users no reason to visit them unless they are planning a visit. There is nothing that reveals that the congregation is interested in anyone but their own ministry. Of course, web sites need to provide basic information such as location and service times. However, such an approach will not help people find you. Church web sites should focus on a broader audience and how they can serve them.

2. There is very little meaningful content.

There are still many “seekers” in the world but they are not traveling from church service to church service trying to find God. They are sitting at home and surfing for messages that resonate and add meaning to their spiritual lives. Congregations, here’s your chance! Offer helpful content that addresses popular topics from a spiritual point of view. Interest in joining your community of faith will grow if viewers know you are interested in them BEFORE they venture a visit. (Feel free to use content from 2×2. Just give us a link or a “like”!)

3. Church web sites fail to see themselves as part of community.

Failure to realize the potential to interconnect is not only a failure of congregational web sites but also of web sites of regional bodies. We’ve seen congregational web sites that link to the regional body and to a national denominational body but rarely beyond that. The linking power of the web should have them supporting dozens (or more) community initiatives. This would demonstrate that a church can practice what it preaches, caring and serving people who are not directly connected to them. And remember . . . “community” is no longer limited by geography.

4. Churches often fail to maintain their sites.

Visitors are looking at photos of flea markets and Christmas plays that happened five years ago.  Of the 30 congregations we visited in the last year, ten percent had wrong service times posted on their site. Many open with Easter or Christmas messages that are months or even years old. One church web site we visited had only one message from its pastor who wrote complaining about poor summer attendance. It was dated two years prior. (Think about how that looks to a first-time visitor!)

5. Church web sites fail to adapt their message to the media.

This is a broad topic in itself. Here’s just one example. Many church web sites reprint sermons just as they were delivered. They would probably be more effective if they were broken up or shortened for an online audience. A summary with key “takeaways” and perhaps a link or two to other online resources would make the message more effective in this new medium. Video is also a powerful online tool that is rarely used by congregations. A 90-second video summary of the sermon would probably inspire readership and communicate personality of a pastor and congregation.

6. Congregations are not integrating powerful Social Media tools.

They have a web site, but are they working the site? Do they have a blog? (85% of internet users find blogs before they find web sites.) Are they connecting to Facebook? Are they using Twitter to create a following? Is their congregation and staff on LinkedIn? These are the Big 4 of Social Media but there are many more tools that could extend the reach of your congregation’s ministry.

7. Congregations fail to use the internet to collect information.

Most congregations publish data such as worship attendance … even such statistics as how many people communed. Those statistics are fairly meaningless in today’s world. You don’t know how many of the few people in church are paying attention to the things you may want them to pay attention to. Internet statistics are much more focussed. If you encourage your existing members to visit your website regularly you can learn about them. You can reach 100s more people every week and know what they find interesting. You don’t have to guess! Learn about your community through polls and surveys. Incorporate Calls to Action (offers that visitors will want to download). The evangelism potential is enormous.

8. Congregational web sites fail to create a “voice.”

Readers are looking for sites with personality. This may start with pastoral voice, but  the personality of your congregation must shine as well.

9. Congregations fail to recognize that their audience is the world.

A congregation’s major interest is their neighborhood. But remember, anyone can eavesdrop, so include the world in your thinking. This has the potential of changing and broadening your congregation’s sense of mission and service.

10. Congregations fail to realize the mission potential of their web sites.

The internet is the most powerful evangelism tool the church is not using.

14 Oct 2011

9 Reasons Every Church Should Have a Social Media Committee

Part 1: Social Media MinistryMost churches have a set of standing committees which look something like this: Worship, Property, Social Ministry, Finance, Education, Stewardship and Evangelism.

In today’s church environment the Evangelism Committee can play a huge role in shaping the future of any congregation. Once the realm of church newsletters, the modern Evangelism Committee must embrace Social Media. The potential is too enormous to be overlooked — so great that it should be the hub of any congregational plan for growth.

First, consider changing the name of the committee to Social Media Committee.

Have you noticed that the word "evangelist" had been adopted by the business community?

There is nothing wrong with the word “evangelism,” but calling it a Social Media Committee will force you to see “evangelism” in a new light.

Social Media used correctly and DAILY is powerful. Look at it this way: A small congregation could go on reaching the same 25-75 people week after week, or it could start to reach thousands with the same message on the internet.

Here is a short list of how a Social Media Committee can spur your congregation’s ministry.

1. Using Social Media will give your congregation visibility, especially if you look beyond your own circle of activity and begin to interact with other neighborhood groups.

2. Using Social Media will give people a way to interact and share. The internet crosses religious and denominational lines. Invite people to share. Soon you’ll be engaging people who would never walk through your door on Sunday morning.

3. Social Media is cost-effective. The traditional costs of printing and mailing can be nearly eliminated. The costs of Social Media are more time intensive. Content must be created and your various social media accounts must be monitored, but this is work that can be shared.

4. Using Social Media will force your congregation to stop relying on programs that require people to come to you. It’s called OUTREACH.

5. Social Media will grow your network of people with skills and talents. You will discover influential people and you may be able to enlist them in projects. Ask a local authority to comment on an important issues that your church should address (bullying, crime, child care issues, etc.). Invite guest pastors to contribute.

6. Social Media will open eyes! Change (which most congregations admit they need) will be within reach. You will have a new arsenal of tools.

7. Social Media will open hearts as you expand your congregation’s reach in the world. If you engage in online communities on topics of interest to people in your congregation, you may be astounded to find help in places you never dreamed. Your congregation might learn about a situation your people could address and form networks far beyond what was once possible.

8. Social Media will force your congregation to work as a team. One person cannot do the job alone. Every other committee will have a message they need to share. A social media committee will have to work with all other committees to develop a strategy for each of them.

9. Social Media provides measurable results which can help you shape ministry. Increasingly sophisticated metrics (many of them free) can tell you who is reading your blog or web site, how they came to your site, what pages they look at,  and how long they spend. If you offer something of value (community calendar, devotional booklet, etc.) you can collect information and expand your audience. You can tweak what is not working. What you can measure you can improve.

There is a lot to learn, but it is not difficult to get started and you can grow at a pace that is comfortable. Here is a guide to help you get started. 2×2 will start a Social Media Page to provide more help for congregations who want to harness this powerful EVANGELISM tool.

13 Oct 2011

Ambassadors Visit Temple, Havertown, Pa.

Redeemer Ambassadors at Temple, Havertown, October 9, 2011

Our 31st congregational visit took us to the suburb of Havertown, a beautiful residential neighborhood off of Route 1, (City Line to us Philadelphians). Temple Lutheran is on the corner of Brookline and Earlington.

Havertown is between pastors as their pastor of seven years, Rev. Matt Staniz, resigned, leaving only three weeks ago. We encountered former Bishop Michael Merkel, who is serving as the congregation’s interim pastor. We are still astounded at how many churches we visit have interim ministries.

Chancel Mural, Temple, Havertown, Pa.

We were struck by the chancel art, a depiction of the violent scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, a reminder that the Christian path is not always lined with roses — even in a garden.

We attended the second service — the contemporary service at`10:45. A more traditional liturgy is used at the 8:30 service. From the statistics published in the bulletin, attendance at both is about equal and very similar to a typical Sunday at Redeemer. We enjoyed the “praise band” which included two guitars, keyboard, a drum, and two leading singing. They used many hymns, mostly newer hymns.

We didn’t get to talk to many people, but the church seemed friendly enough. They seemed to be engaged in a number of community projects. Their confirmands were looking for sponsors for a CROP walk, and other projects included putting together school kits, college care packages, and senior activities. Their bulletin advertised events at other churches as well.

We certainly wish them well as they look for new leadership!

 

09 Oct 2011

Lessons to be learned from the death of a great innovator

Steve Jobs died today. The reaction to his death has been as to that of a great celebrity or national figure.

He was a businessman. Very few businessmen’s deaths evoke such national respect.

Steve Jobs will be remembered as an innovator. His innovative ideas would have left no impression without innovative actions. As one of his colleagues noted, many business moguls achieve success by making an existing product better, building a better mousetrap. But Jobs created things no one else had imagined. He dreamt ideas. He built ideas. He improved ideas.

He persisted in pursuing excellence in defiance of the brightest, wisest minds of the business community. Apple was done for, dead. When retailers, following popular wisdom, couldn’t or wouldn’t sell his machines, he found an answer. He opened his own stores . . . and outsold his competitors.

We advocates for small churches can learn from the life of Steve Jobs. We know we are swimming against a strong current. Popular wisdom tells us small churches can’t survive. If we keep doing the same things the same way, they may be right! But if we do things differently we have a chance to be innovators, too. We are not likely to find support among those following the collective wisdom of the current movers and shakers. We will have to forge our own way.

There are plenty of stories in the Bible to teach us the way . . . but now and then we can be reminded of the lessons of our faith by the life of someone who walked among us.

05 Oct 2011

A fun artistic video your congregation might enjoy

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/23864881]
04 Oct 2011

Failure to use Social Media is missing mission opportunity

Failure to embrace social media is failure to do mission.

“Why don’t they come to us?” That’s the question many church people ask. “We’re friendly. We care about them. We have something to offer. Why don’t they come?”

One thing the last few decades have proven to the church is that people are not going to come to them like they once did. It’s not because your congregation isn’t a good group of people doing great things. It isn’t because they don’t believe in religion or the church.

It’s because today’s world provides more options to fulfill their needs — socially and spiritually.

Businesses experienced the same challenges. They knocked on doors. They advertised. They gave things away. They sponsored ball teams. Some strategies worked for a while. Along came social media. At first businesses used the internet to plug themselves shamelessly. It didn’t work very well. Then they discovered that if they provided valuable information for free on the internet, people would start coming to them. It’s not unlike the hymn –They will know we are Christians by our love. Use the internet pulpit to show your love.

Last year 2×2 visited dozens of congregations. When we choose a church, we review web sites. We learned: The internet is the most powerful resource the church is not using. Many congregations have no web site. Most have a web site that is painfully static, often not updated in years. Some have wrong information on their sites. The voice of the site, if one can be discerned at all, is usually the pastor’s, and it is rarely more than a reprinted sermon. We haven’t come across a single congregational web site that is giving people any reason to visit their site if they aren’t specifically looking for service/event times or directions. Church web sites are all about the church and not about the people they serve or hope to reach. Failing to focus on others, makes their web sites almost useless.

The church wants to reach young people. Why ignore the tool they have glued to the palm of their hands?Reaching out to the community is evangelism. Congregations no longer have to wait until Sunday morning to send their message. Every hour, day and night, is available for you to reach your audience. The more you offer, the larger your audience grows. The more you concentrate on the needs of your customers and what’s going on in their lives and in their communities, the more successful you will be. The take away message: stop talking about yourselves and talk about what is going on in your community.

This web site is a social media project. We are a small congregation — too small to exist according to our regional body. But we do exist. We have adopted several missions. One is to harness the power of social media so that we can lead others in developing social media ministries. Mostly we concentrate on ideas that will promote ministry. We share our story only when we think it will help other congregations or illustrate an important point.

We analyze our site daily so that we can learn what works. Our little church site (only 7 months old) has an average of 75 new visits to our web site each week and has grown steadily overall every week since we began posting new information regularly. Our biggest week had 150 new visits. We have formed relationships with others involved in social media and Christian outreach. We are sharing ideas and laying the groundwork for new programs to answer the challenges which are so evident on our church visits. 

Every congregation — beginning with the smallest — must embrace social media if they are to survive. 2×2 will be there to help.  

Don’t know how? Here’s something to help you get started.

02 Oct 2011