Communication Archives - Page 4 of 7

Home»Blog»Communication

Communication Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Church Executive

Who says small, rural churches can’t grow? Not Shannon O’Dell

Posted by admin

Communication, community, congregation, leaders, LEADERSHIP, management

January 2, 2012 at 9:00 am.

Ever tempted to think “we’re just a country church of 30 souls, we’ll never grow much larger”? Or you’ve thought, “There’s no way we will ever see our church at 3,000 people.” Don’t tell that to Shannon O’Dell, senior pastor of Brand New Church in the small, rural church of Bergman, AR. O’Dell tells about his experience of raising up a church of 30 to 3,000 over just six years in Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking All the Rurals (New Leaf Press, 2010). He talks about “the rules” about the rurals — “the unspoken but clearly understood values that permeate American Christianity’s beliefs about churches in the boonies.” Bottom line, he says, is “forget the rules.”

Church Executive shared some questions with Pastor O’Dell:

Describe the area in which the church is located; what is “rural” about the area? Bergman, AR, population 407, just got a Dollar General! There are no major employers in this town, but a great school and wonderful people. The Klu Klux Klan is headquartered just a few miles from our campus, but has no impact on slowing down the love of God to every race in our community.

Best practices for families in the business of a church

Posted by admin

adminstrator, Communication, LEADERSHIP, manage, management, ministry, pastor

January 2, 2012 at 9:00 am.

Most people don’t think of churches as family businesses. Yet, as in most fields of endeavor, we find that young people often follow in their parents’ footsteps. Typically, this is the field that they know most about since they grew up around it. Most famous church family successions of late are the Schullers, the Falwells, and the Grahams (though a ministry, not a congregation). They are not immune to the issues that plague secular family businesses: greed, entitlement, jealousy and struggles over power and control. (See sidebar on the November sale of the Crystal Cathedral by the bankruptcy court.)

iPod, iPhone … iChurch?

Posted by admin

church, Communication, confidential, information, leading, privacy, social networking, speaking, TECHNOLOGY

April 2, 2010 at 7:00 pm.

Technology has certainly been embraced by church-goers for ages. Just a generation or so ago, the advent of radio and television created opportunities to reach new people and create new pulpits for both the gifted preacher and the not-so-gifted.

CLICK ON HEADLINE FOR FULL POST

Churches upgrade connection

Posted by admin

bandwidth, broadband, church, Communication, community, congregation, efficiency, email, Internet, IT, leader, Mike Gold, Shelby Systems, staff, TECHNOLOGY, website

March 22, 2010 at 11:36 am.

After 14 years in IT work with a megachurch, Mike Gold decided to put his practical, hands-on experience to work for a leading corporate firm where he can work with dozens of megachurches.

Twitter and the church

Posted by Contributor

church, Communication, congregation, Facebook, leaders, social media, social networking, TECHNOLOGY, twitter

March 22, 2010 at 11:22 am.

Although you have probably heard the word Twitter many times, chances are that it remains an abstract concept in your mind. So let’s begin by first describing what it is and then we’ll look at how churches like yours are embracing this tool as a means to connecting with their followers.

The CE Interview: Josh Whitehead

Posted by Contributor

adminstrator, budget, change, church, Communication, evaluate, goals, LEADERSHIP, management, pastor, personnel, salary, staff

February 1, 2010 at 8:47 am.

“Because Christ should be the head of the church, the church should be the model of organizational integrity for the business world,” believes Josh Whitehead, executive pastor at Faith Promise Church, a nondenominational church of 3,300 in attendance in Knoxville, TN.

Seismic change is coming to the church in a new demography

Posted by Contributor

church, Communication, congregation, cultural, demography, LEADERSHIP, management, metropolitan, population, research, statistics, The Brookings Institution, trends

January 1, 2010 at 1:57 pm.

In 1988 General Motors started an aggressive advertising campaign aimed at lowering the average age of Oldsmobile buyers. The ad theme, “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile,” did not work. The slogan not only alienated loyalists, it did not attract the next generation. The brand that represented respectable middle-class achievement in the 1960s and 1970s lost to the “cool factor” of the 1980s and 1990s.

CE Interview: Rick Rusaw

Posted by Contributor

church, Communication, LEADERSHIP, management, organization

January 1, 2010 at 8:18 am.

At a conference hosted by the North American Christian Convention last summer in Kentucky, Rick Rusaw stood on stage before thousands of church leaders and posed this question: “If your church disappeared today, would your community miss it?” Then he echoed a disturbing finding by a national research firm: 66 percent of Americans agree that churches have little or no value in helping them find meaning or direction for their lives.

The Bible like you’ve never seen it

Posted by Contributor

art, audience, Bible, church, comic, Communication, graphic novel, LEADERSHIP, youth

November 8, 2009 at 1:13 pm.

When Phil Hotsenpiller became the teaching pastor at Yorba Linda Friends Church, Yorba Linda, CA, writing a comic book was the last thing on his mind. In fact, the thought had never occurred to him. Little did he know that one of the comic book industries most talented and controversial artists, Rob Liefeld, attended his church. Neither Hotsenpiller nor Liefeld ever imagined what would happen next.

Using audience response in engaging youth

Posted by Contributor

Communication, creative, interactive, management, Outreach, TECHNOLOGY, youth

November 1, 2009 at 11:07 am.

Saddleback Church, like most congregations, uses audio/visual equipment to enhance services as well as capture teachings and send video to other campuses. Increasingly technology is finding its way from the pulpit to youth ministry too. With youth demographics experiencing nearly every facet of life in Web 2.0 — from the classroom to the playground — why not integrate similar technology into youth worship experiences?