The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

Discover the surprising behaviors that can scare off newcomers at churches. Insider jargon, forced small talk, and unfriendly vibes top the list. An authentic online presence is crucial for welcoming digital visitors. The importance of structured services and clear communication can't be overstated. And don't forget about singles—they often feel sidelined in a family-focused environment. Small changes can make a big difference in fostering an inclusive and friendly church atmosphere that retains new visitors.

Today, we list 15 supposed essentials for church websites. Some are unnecessary! We'll categorize them: necessary, nice to have, or nonsense. By the end, you'll know what truly matters for your site. Let's dive in.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Speed 10:08 - Live Stream Primary CTA 14:22 - Pop-Ups 20:37 - Sermon Archive 24:22 - Beliefs 30:29 - Links To Social 32:01 - 5-Star Domain Name 35:48 - Sliders 44:55 - Responsive Design4 8:02 - App CTAs 52:30 - Service Times, Address, & Contact Info 55:55 - Staff Page 59:56 - Scroll Animation 01:03:18 - Photography 01:06:42 - SEO   ============================= Show Notes: ============================= - Pingdom Website Speed Test: https://bit.ly/4fi7ut3 - Makeovers: https://www.nucleus.church/makeovers - Holy Trinity Brompton: https://htb.org/   ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast

Ryan Burge, a political science professor and religious data expert, delves into the impact of online church attendance on in-person participation. He uncovers surprising data revealing that only 5% attend exclusively online, challenging concerns about declines in physical attendance. The discussion shifts to youth behaviors, highlighting a significant drop in substance use, and explores gender dynamics in spirituality, showing women often engage more deeply than men. Join Ryan as he navigates these pressing topics in today’s faith landscape.

Rohn Starling returns to the show for a section we’re called “Rohn’s Rankings”. We're discussing trending social media sounds and sharing five church post ideas.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:58 - Trend #5: Part of me feels bad, but not that bad 12:28 - Trend #4: Not my problem 28:23 - Trend #3: Number 44, that’s me! 35:08 - Trend #2: Inside Out 2 43:46 - Trend #1: Blinking Sound   ============================= Show Notes: ============================= - Trend #5: Part of me feels bad, but not that bad: https://bit.ly/3LrAeli - Trend #4: Not my problem: https://bit.ly/4f2a5au - Trend #3: Number 44, that’s me!: https://bit.ly/46a2HFR - Trend #2: Inside Out 2: https://bit.ly/3LqaG8j - Trend #1: Blinking Sound: https://bit.ly/3W3lzSq - Rohn Starling IG: https://www.instagram.com/rohnstarling/   ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast

Today on the show we’re answering your questions. Questions about burn out, bilingual church social media strategies, and everything in between. Let’s dive in.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 0:36 - How should bilingual churches post on social media? 4:25 - Where did you get all the wisdom for naming Alex? 7:32 - Best food in Montreal? 17:15 - After 10 years of PCT, what would you do differently as a team? 26:47 - Should we look into creating a new YouTube Channel for our podcast or do we keep it on our church’s YouTube channel? 29:52 - Heard you're going to be at SALT Conference. Excited? 32:56 - What is your daily workflow? Apps? Schedule? Integrations? 44:02 - Can you talk about burnout? 53:50 - What does a well-structured administrative team look like on a church organization chart? 59:11 - How can churches with no sermon build up content for #noweeksoff foundation material?   ============================= Show Notes: ============================= - Our big announcement (finally): https://youtu.be/edD_Nsu3Qsg - Church website red flags: https://youtu.be/lV_P3I0NvSc - The best church websites of 2024: https://youtu.be/oSpcw7dkXAM - Mon Lapin Montreal: https://vinmonlapin.com/ - SALT conference: https://www.salt2024.com/ - Fischersund: https://www.fischersund.com/   ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast

It's our quarterly social media review. Discover changes, constants, and their impact on your church.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 3:10 - Assessing Our Previous Predictions  8:54 - Adult Content on X 17:40 - Church Invite Memes 23:22 - Reels Split Design 31:26 - YouTube Thumbnail A/B Testing 42:28 - Carousels Over Reels? 48:45 - Apple AI & Unplugging From Our Devices   ============================= Show Notes: ============================= - Our big announcement (finally): https://youtu.be/edD_Nsu3Qsg - Talking Tech and AI with Tim Cook!: https://youtu.be/pMX2cQdPubk?feature=shared   ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast

On June 10th, the head of Instagram made a significant statement: "____ matters most across the board." So, what is it? Likes? Comments? Watch time? Saves? None of the above. Today on the show, we're diving into the most important metric on Instagram—a metric that's not easy to find and requires some digging.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 3:04 - Sends per reach are one of the most important things to look at 11:23 - Most people won't like *and* send 24:51 - IG heavily preference accounts who both follow each other 32:44 - Priority notifications come with the verified badge 36:16 - Instagram focuses on creators, not publishers   ============================= Show Notes: ============================= - An honest conversation with the CEO of Instagram [Colin and Samir]: https://bit.ly/3KOQUmr   ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast

In today's episode, we feature a rural pastor who discovered he had more time for social media than he thought…it’s our very own Alexander Mills! This episode is packed with both introductory and advanced social media tips for churches. If you're part of a smaller church or serving in a rural area, this one's for you.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro / Alex’s Church 5:46 - Strategy for Sustainability 12:10 - High Quality Content 34:10 - Low Effort Design Tools 43:20 - Post Examples   ============================= Show Notes: ============================= - Life Abundant (Alex’s church): https://www.lifeabundant.info/ - Life Abundant Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeabundantniagara/ - Canva: https://www.canva.com/ - CapCut: https://www.capcut.com/ - Sermon quote (carousel) - https://bit.ly/3RoZiga - Guided prayer (carousel) - https://bit.ly/3Rm8GRT - Simple story (iPhone Reel) - https://bit.ly/4bXXWRW - Simple story (CapCut Reel) - https://bit.ly/4bVh6b1 - Meditation + Program Post (Nucleus Media) - https://bit.ly/4bMcpAl   ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast

Join us in today's episode as we tackle your burning questions! Ever wondered about the ideal time commitment for pastors on social media? Or how to navigate challenges when your social media efforts seem to fall short? Plus, discover insights on maintaining a God-centered focus in fulfilling pursuits.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 2:15 - What are your thoughts on church politics? Are they inevitable? 9:10 - What should we do if Facebook engagement drops but Instagram rises? 15:06 - How much time should a pastor dedicate to making content for social media if any? 20:35 - Should we honestly care what others in church think about us? 24:53 - What are the boys wearing for summer this year? 28:06 - What is the hiring process for Pro Church Tools? 31:00 - Drinks in the shower? Yes or no? 37:54 - Your view on having tattoos? Especially as a leader in the church. 46:16 - Was there a social or communication trend you didn't see coming, but really blew up? 50:18 - Have you ever considered sharing more lifestyle content? Clothing, health, travel, etc. 56:10 - If you were to frame your ministry in a bit of Scripture, what would it be? 58:42 - What are the top five voices you lean into and trust in life and ministry? 01:04:49 - I'm giving it my all for my church's social media and see little growth. Any advice? 01:08:58 - You posted on Instagram Stories your reuben sandwich. What else have you been cooking lately? 01:15:34 - Do you encourage or discourage the 'hide like count' feature? 01:17:22 - What do you do to make sure you're always serving God in a field so gratifying in itself?   ============================= Show Notes: ============================= - SocialSermons: https://socialsermons.com/ - How Churches Are Really Reaching Young People with Dr. Kara Powell: https://youtu.be/v6O0USRnwbY   ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast

Social media changes fast! Today, we discuss these changes with church social media expert Danielle Davis. Alex, Danielle, and I each bring two topics: one exciting and one concerning trend for the future. We're here to keep your church in the know on all of the changes happening on social. ============================= Show Notes: ============================= Danielle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imdanielledavis Churchfluence: http://churchfluence.com/    ============================= Connect With Brady: ============================= Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/pfArcS/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradyShearer The Pro Church Tools Show: https://prochurchtools.com/podcast