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Let’s face it. It’s 2011, not 1911. Almost every household has a computer (or two) and smartphones are the highest-selling consumer electronic. According to Gartner, the world's leading information technology research and advisory company, US sales of smartphones is expected to grow from 67 million in 2010 to 95 million in 2011. That statistic is astounding. The prevalence of technology is impossible to miss in our consumer culture. It’s constantly changing, and more and more people are diving in to get connected. Here’s where social media comes in: the dissemination of information...


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Why should the church engage pop culture? Last time I checked, popular television shows like Modern Family promote values that directly contradict the Bible. Also, what good could could possibly come from playing a secular song off the radio in our church services? There is a reason that we are drawn into the lyrics of a Lady Antebellum song and are moved by films like The King’s Speech. God’s story is The Gospel, and it is the greatest story ever told. All of these kinds of narratives pull on strings inside of us and reveal the growing spiritual interest growing in our culture. But...


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Tim Stevens – Pop Goes the Church Media has a great power in our culture. In many cases, theology and culture clash in way where fences are put up – lines are clearly drawn. In some cases, these lines could get quite blurry, especially as the church looks for ways to engage the culture in [...]


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As Granger Community Church went multi-site 3 years ago, they built their plans on the backs of churches like North Point and Sea Coast who had far more experience with the idea.  That being said, there are lessons being learned … Continue reading →


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  Greg Martin - Director of Campus Operations In this post, you are going to find steps that GCC has taken to save money, and save waste over the past few years. One thing that GCC started to do was to recycle things in the church. While not mandated by the state, here are some things they started to recycle here: Paper Aluminium cans Fluorescent bulbs Batteries GCC also went paperless with all of their work orders, and task lists. This keeps everything together and saved on time, money, and resources. To do this, they started to use FacilityTree (facilitytree.com), which...


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Strategy Honesty Value Connecting people to each other, not just you Measure progress (stories and numbers) Conversation not broadcast Benefits Relationship collateral Reputation management Idea generation Audience/competitor research Fan loyalty Help others Record keeping How to Get Started Determine your audience and objective Pick one, start slow Watch before your interact Don’t put on a non-social in charge of it. Assign by “shape” not by “org chart” Don’t control, cultivate Don’t start it unless you can maintain it Don’t...


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1. Get Parent preferences - Always best to get the parents preferences. It helps you to start a dialog with the family. Write it down - parents love this - You communicating how much you care about their child. Ask, "Is there anything that we should know about your child?" 2. Genuinely give the Positive Trio - In the child's presence, communicate the privilege it was to have them in class, indicate hope to see them again, have genuine excitement to have them again! These parents are used to hearing bad news, they are assuming a negative experience. 3. Choose the right One on One Volunteer - Find...


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Mark Meyer – Online Church “Does going to church “online” really count? And what does it look like? People are online now more than ever. What does it look like to do church where the people are?” (source AND conference guide) “I would say that there are no experts in online church. Everything right now [...]


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Simple: What's on screen during services. Keys to success with cameras: 1. Camera operators have to take ownership of a team. They seek out their own shots, act as little directors 2. Six big buckets for cameras: Focus, Iris (shading), Push or Pull Speed, head space, composition (teach the rule of thirds, watch the screens, watch sides, show singers when singing) 3. Game changers: -Position your team for strength -Check lighting levels at rehearsals -at rehersals, make a shot option list for operators -know your endings -hands on the board-not texting! -watch for operators...


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Melanie Rosander and Shelly Barhydt led an interesting discussion on a lot of different aspects of church design; from children’s areas and warehouse modification to staff offices and worship area chairs and carpet. As warehouse spaces are become more popular … Continue reading →


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