The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

***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: Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

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: Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

Creating dramatic and cinematic videos for your church is what this episode of Pro Church Tools is all about - as we breakdown seven eye-popping shot setups that you can copy and start using right away. By the end of this video, you'll have a bag full of tricks that you can reach into next time you've got a camera in your hand. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/shot-setups-for-better-church-videos/ What's In This Session? #1: Sunbeam at edge of frame - makes shot more dynamic; create lens flare; manufactured light leak; wash the entire scene with a lens flare pinkish color; Time Of Day: Golden Hour (1:51) #2: Block out sun with object - Creates silhouettes and lens flares; makes shot more dynamic; Time Of Day: Golden Hour (Exception: Point up with tall trees) (5:10) #3: Background/Foreground -Create movement within shot (landscape); Create depth within shot (cross); Time Of Day: Any (7:05) #4: Wide angle facing up with movement - Exaggerate compression with wide angle lens; unique perspective like gazing up at the sky; walking with a gimbal or driving with a gimbal or walking handheld slow-mo warp stabilize in post (9:38) #5: Blue hour -Need clear sky/canvas; hands raised in service; Time Of Day: Blue hour (only about 10-15 minutes) (12:19) #6: Small people/Big canvas -Contrast small vs. big - visual appeal comes from extremes on both sides of spectrum coming together; Time Of Day: Any (14:20) #7: Color block (16:10) Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

Many churches I know struggle with quantifying "success" when it comes to their digital efforts. Maybe a pastor asks, "Hey, why do we have a podcast?" Or, "What's the point of a YouTube channel anyway?" So if you hear a question like that and struggle with the thought of how to answer it - you're not alone. But by the end of this video, you will know how to answer those questions and you'll have a three-part framework to measure every digital decision you make. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/how-to-get-any-idea-approved-by-your-pastor/ What's In This Session? "We are starting a Podcast here at the church and have been asked by lead pastor to present some metrics on how we will measure 'success' in year one. Any thoughts?" (0:38) "That would largely depend on what you're trying to achieve and how your church measures success." (1:02) 3 part framework (3:18) The Goal: Every Christ-following church exists to help people: love God, love others, and make disciples (3:44) The Resource: Attention; the most valuable commodity your church can possess (5:07) The Action: Next steps (submit a prayer request or talk to a pastor, church announcements at the top of the episode, infrequent next steps focusing on building authority wherein you track listens and subscribers) (5:24) 23% of adults listen to podcasts, 42% of millennials listen to podcasts, and 17% of practicing Christians listen to podcasts every single day - Barna Trends 2018 (6:28) Show Notes & Resources Mentioned: Alex Ehly on twitter Brady Shearer on Twitter Nucleus Church Growth Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

If you've ever been involved with your church's social media accounts, you probably know how easy it is to be repetitive. It can feel like you're just posting the same stuff over and over again. So we want to help you with that. By the end of this video, you'll learn five social media ideas for posts that are anything but ordinary - and we'll show you real examples of what this can look like. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/abnormal-social-media-ideas-for-your-church/ What's In This Session? THE GOAL: Stop the scroll, start a meaningful conversation, provoke spiritual practice (1:17) #1. 20-Second Bible Lesson (2:17) Promote Biblical literacy (2:20) #2. Would You Rather with examples (4:26) #3. Bible Lottery (6:58) #4. "How To" (8:04) One of the best frameworks for blog posts when it comes to ranking in google is a "how to" post - we took this idea and applied it to social (8:07) Taking the truths of scripture and shaping it into frameworks that are clear and actionable (9:23) #5. Prompt To Spiritual Practice (9:48) Show Notes & Resources Mentioned: Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

Storytelling is the most powerful form of human communication. And it has the ability to shape the way we think about God and ourselves. Unfortunately, this power can be used to do harm. And so in this episode of Pro Church Tools, we'll examine three prominent narratives persisting within the Christian faith that - while perhaps are rooted in good intentions - are doing more harm than good. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/harmful-christian-narratives-we-need-to-stop-telling/ What's In This Session? Example #1: Perkins Wand (0:35) Example #2: Henry Beecher in WWll (1:58) The placebo effect (3:35) The Goal: Love God, love others, make disciples (6:20) How we talk about God shapes the way people view God and themselves (8:28) Harmful Narrative #1: "Morality Police" (8:40) Agape love - selfless, unconditional, sacrificial, promoting the goodwill of all humanity - the same love that God has for each of us (11:35) "Morality police" narrative teaches people that God is a drill sergeant - he demands compliance, deference, and capitulation (14:16) "Morality police" narrative teaches Christians that discipleship is conformity (14:26) Harmful Narrative #2: "Where will you spend eternity?" (16:14) Fear is an incredibly powerful motivator (16:20) Fear can elicit three responses: fight, flight, submission (16:22) "Where will you spend eternity" narrative turns Jesus into a bank robber (16:54) "Where will you spend eternity" narrative teaches Christians to neglect their time on Earth (17:20) Harmful Narrative #3: "Corruption and Depravity" (21:10) Depression study in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology (22:08) Could you ever imagine Jesus using fear to motivate people? (23:25) "Corruption and depravity" narrative turns Jesus into an ashamed parent (26:35) "Corruption and depravity" narrative teaches Christians to despise themselves (26:58) The opposite of love isn't hate, it's fear - each of these narratives are motivated by fear (28:14) Show Notes & Resources Mentioned: Journal of Abnormal Psychology Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

Today, I want to share with you five leadership lessons that I think every leader should grasp before they turn 30. These lessons are applicable in both personal and professional life - and each lesson is condensed into a quote to make it easy to remember and apply as you serve the world and the people around you. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/5-leadership-lessons-you-need-to-know-before-youre-30/ What's In This Session? What if you're older than thirty? "Never too late" (0:42) Why before you're thirty? (0:55) #1. "For the first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. For the last 30 years of your life, your habits make you." (1:35) #2. "Surrender the need to be right." (8:35) #3. "Once you settle into a story about your pain, you are extremely reluctant to challenge it." - Johann Hari (16:45) #4. "Never miss twice." - James Clear (23:16) #5. "Become unoffendable." (26:30) Show Notes & Resources Mentioned: Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

There are a ton of new Instagram features that are coming later this year - along with many that have already been released. Do you know all of them? Do you know how to use them to help your church? By the end of this episode of Pro Church Tools you will - as we'll cover thirteen of the newest and most exciting changes to Instagram in 2019. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/13-exciting-new-instagram-features-for-churches-in-2019/ What's In This Session? SOON: Create Mode: Simplified design (1:45) Donation sticker (4:56) Creator Profiles (7:55) The downsides of creator profiles (12:00) Instagram Stories Filters (13:37) Anti-Bullying Initiatives (14:32) NOW: Countdown (17:00) Remove followers (18:50) Close friends (19:15) Q&A IG Live (19:38) Line breaks (21:20) IGTV Previews (22:17) IGTV Horizontal Videos (25:40) Pro Church Tools GIFs (27:20) Show Notes & Resources Mentioned: 7 Exciting Instagram Features Coming in 2019 New Instagram Update Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

The way churches hire has drastically changed with the rise of digital platforms and the Internet. Positions in ministry now exist that never did before - and the process for filling these positions is different as well! So what does this mean for you if you want to work at a church? In this video, I'll share seven skills that contributed to me getting hired at a church when I was 21 years old - and how these skills can help you as well. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/how-to-get-hired-by-a-church-7-skills-you-need/ What's In This Session? #1. Understand the senior leader's vision and struggles - and identify ways you can help (1:58) #2. A portfolio/platform (6:52) #3. Relationships (9:30) #4. Indicate your ability to work on yourself (12:05) #5. Organization (14:44) #6. Exceed expectations (15:49) #7. Volunteer/Free Work/Don't get taken advantage of (16:22) WARNING FLAGS: You trash your old church and boss (18:25) You're overly critical with few solutions (18:43) Someone who wants more but sucks at what they currently do - not realizing that's their resume (19:02) Social media (21:33) WHAT PASTORS LOVE: People who make themselves indispensable (22:30) Have solutions first (22:54) They crush what they have been given even if they "aren't passionate about it" (19:41) Give more than they take (23:05) Character & drive (23:38) Need them to be somewhat of a self-starter who is faithful (23:47) INTERVIEW TIPS (23:52) Show Notes & Resources Mentioned: Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram

In this podcast, you're going to learn three advanced tips for prepping your church's services. I'll show you how my church prepares for Sunday each and every week, and by the end of this episode, you'll know exactly how to implement these tips in your church as well. ***VISIT THE FULL POST HERE: https://prochurchtools.com/how-the-internet-is-provoking-the-next-christian-reformation/ What's In This Session? What role does/will the Internet have in reforming the church? (1:50) The story of Martin Luther is that he nailed his 95 theses to a door and thus began the Protestant Reformation (2:15) How can an unpublished, obscure Roman Catholic monk move from the shadows to the world stage in a matter of years? (2:27) Brand Luther by Andrew Pettegree (3:15) Luther quickly learned how to use printed books and pamphlets to spread his views widely and effectively. He obsessed not just about the words he wrote but about the timing, accuracy, visual appeal, and effective distribution of these printed works. Second, by writing in plain German, rather than in Latin, he increased his potential audience many times over (3:40) Bottom line: Martin Luther's theological revolution would have gone nowhere without the power of the printing press. Attention is the most valuable commodity - Luther was brilliant, but without attention - it wouldn't have mattered (6:28) For years, the church had gatekeepers that you couldn't get past - but a technological revolution removed those barriers almost instantly. Do you see a parallel? (7:37) The Internet is the next great communication shift - and removal of gatekeepers - and my prediction is that it will lead to reformation again (8:50) Jen and Mike experienced massive theological shifts because in their mid-forties they moved to a new culture (11:03) The internet basically shares anyone and everyone's theology (13:05) Eschatology, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, women in leadership, white privilege and the oppression of minorities, nationalism being passed off as Christian doctrine, and more (15:02) "Change is perceived as compromise" (18:03) I just don't think we're gonna get to Heaven and hear: Baptists to the left, Pentecostals to the right, Methodists down that way, Non-Denominationals over this way, etc. We'll be there worshipping Jesus TOGETHER. Imagine how awesome it'd be if we were willing to do that now (22:35) Matthew 22: The Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Jesus with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (24:37) Unity isn't uniformity (25:44) Show Notes & Resources Mentioned: Jason Robinson on Twitter Pro Church Tools Pro Church Tools on Facebook Pro Church Tools on YouTube Brady Shearer on Instagram Brady Shearer on Twitter Alex Mills on Instagram