The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (01:07): Here are my 2 questions: 1. I still love my church and the people I work with, and I am compelled to obey my leadership even when I don't agree with them. But how can I get over my frustration and keep moving forward? 2. How can I make engaging reels (that the algorithm will actually promote) without using Instagram audio? Question #2 (16:40): How many sermon videos a week would be good to post on YouTube shorts or Instagram Reels? Should we make a difference between Reels and Shorts? Question #3 (25:38): A couple months ago, I implemented the Nucleus Prayer Hub on our church’s website. We put it into our video announcements for 3 weeks in a row to try an encourage people to sign up. We are a church of about 125 and It’s now been a month since those announcements, and only 7 people have signed up (2 of which signed up to submit requests, and 2 are admins). Is there a better way I could promote this or encourage people to sign up? Question #4 (34:28): What are some holiday traditions you two are looking forward to in the coming month? 

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (02:45): What’s your take on uploading video podcasts to YouTube? Worth the hassle? Question #2 (12:57): Do you & your church treat Insta & FB differently? Those are the 2 social platforms we use & I've always found FB to be really awkward (maybe it's the Millennial in me) so I naturally gravitate back to Insta because it feels like you can create more 'fun' content. Question #3 (21:46): Bingeing your YT channel and there are recurring themes I'm seeing. Our church live streams services, has an app, and uses a giving service that participates in rev share. With all this firmly established, how do we change to the model you recommend? What should we change first? How important is it to even change the way we're doing things in the first place? Question #4 (35:10): It sounds like you interact with churches all across North America pretty regularly. What excites you about the future of the Church beyond communications and social?

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (03:23): What’s the best way to have kids and adults speak up more in testimony videos when doing baptisms or stories? Would this require more vocal coaching to the person who’s story we're filming or creating a more comfortable environment where they aren’t feeling so bashful?  Question #2 (18:50): Email signatures: how do you think about these for churches? There are a lot of options from simple plain text to more elaborate ones. What would you recommend a church do and why? Question #3 (23:55): I think you've mentioned that you use Notion. Is that something that just you, Brady, uses, or does the whole company use it? How do you use it? Question #4 (37:50): What would you tell your younger self in the areas of entrepreneurship and friendships?

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (01:14): Recently our church's FB page was put into "FACEBOOK jail" based on content from a recent sermon. Is this something that we should be concerned about or take it as an object lesson on the "suppression of truth"? Question #2 (19:01): I just received an email about YouTube changing their username/url look up to something call Handles. What is this? And how can I prepare my church to stay ahead of the game on this?  Question #3 (24:43): Just got this email from Planning Center Giving and would love to hear your thoughts. PC uses Stripe as their processer and Stripe has a new bank verification service that apparently costs more. Stripe has "retired" the old system.  For churches this means ACH transfers now cost $.30 instead of $.25.  One, I'm curious if this is affecting nucleus giving?  Two, does this feel like a money grab by Stripe or necessary increase in a world of inflation? Question #4 (29:42): Brady, if I someone were to ask me what your taste in music was I might explain by saying "I could see him staying up for the new Swift album release". No hate on Taylor Swift or Swifties. I just slept well that night. As I imagine Alex did. So you and Alex agreeing on a band meant I had to listen. Also, I listen to podcasts at the gym between 9:30pm and 11pm PST. So when I think about texting you, I never do because it feels rude to text someone at 1-2am. So I usually resolve to texting you in the morning and then I forget. I'm realizing today that's dumb because there's no way you would have it set up to be awoken by this text line. 

Question #1 (01:18): Can you break down the perfect YouTube video receipe with us?  Question #2 (04:17): Can you tell us what you've learned about the hook, those first 30-60 seconds? Question #3 (10:24): How can we bring this video recipe into the church world? Can we take portions of the message or the entire message and record a 2 minute intro (the hook) & 2 minute outro (pushing towards a new video) or is it not even worth it at that point?  Question #4 (17:21): How do you see YouTube contending with the changes we're seeing across the social landscape? Are there any vulnerabilites and is it going to be enough just introducing YouTube Shorts?  Connect with Sean Cannell: Youtube Instagram Twitter

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (00:57): What are your thoughts on the best camera for churches? Question #2 (19:20): What are your best tips for a new visitor follow-up sequence? Question #3 (31:44): How should we promote the connect card in our church each week? Question #4 (42:09): What's your favorite kitchen or cooking gadget?

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (01:40): How do you see Shorts fitting into the future of YouTube? How do you see vertical video fitting with YouTube’s future? Question #2 (13:30): My church currently has two services with an average attendance in each of about 450. We are going to end up going to a combined service style in the upcoming months, which will lead into a massive renovation (an expanded sanctuary, heightened choir loft, balcony seating, two new life group wings, etc.)  How can we properly and effectively communicate and execute this plan with as little misunderstanding as possible? The older generation is not as understanding to change, so how can we aid to their likings as well? Question #3 (29:14): Have you ever put together a social media plan for a church camp?  Where would you begin if you were in my shoes? Question #4 (35:19): What is your brushing and flossing regimen?

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (03:22): My church recently had to make a statement on a theological topic that's fairly gray. However, as with many things in ministry, there is always a wide spectrum of response...especially since our church family is extremely diverse. There was a much bigger fallout than what we expected, partially due to incorrect rumors, and it's been a hard season of fracture. Any thoughts on the best way to handle the public face of the church when things are rocky? Question #2 (12:27): A lot of church tech/communications folks are individuals working by themselves and wearing many hats. How do we handle burnout and exhaustion during busier seasons with lots more going on in church (and life) than normal? Question #3 (23:38): What are your favorite fonts to use in design? Question #4 (28:19): What's your worst characteristic?

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (00:55): We have a rare opportunity from a local FOX station for a free 15-second ad that they will produce. What in the world do we say for that 15 seconds? Question #2 (10:50): So as the lead Pastor I’m in front a lot and do some video work. I also have some skin conditions that make my face break out and turn red. I do my own lighting and such but do I attempt to make it brighter or blue like?  Question #3 (21:04): We have gained roughtly 15,000 followers this year on Instagram and increasingly have 1st time guests show up from discovering us through IG reels! However, it feels like the type of preaching / singing reels we post (captured from our services) aren't getting the engagement they were a few months back. Any advice on where things might be going next or how to mix up our current content recipe to get an edge? Question #4 (32:55): Fav movie, book, and album of the last five years?

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139. Question #1 (01:22): What are the ten questions you need to answer about an event as you prepare to communicate it? Question #2 (10:19): Why are you title-ing your videos almost like a sentence? I've noticed a few others doing it on YouTube as well. Question #3 (24:18): What are your thoughts on stream-sharing software? Where people opt in to share a live stream from the weekend service on their own social media, as if they were the ones live? So, different than just sharing the service, in that it indicates they are live themselves. Question #4 (29:09): What's your workflow/workday look like?