The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

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Common Church Website Mistakes, Leadership Tips, & Sermon Series Promo Aug 02, 2023

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Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139.

Question #1 (2:49): What are the most common mistakes to avoid when considering website design? We are a small congregation (average attendance 100) and we cannot afford full time tech people.

Question #2 (12:55): What are your top three leadership tips?

Question #3 (26:31): Hi Brady! I just took over the comms for our church. What is your advice or strategy for a church rolling out a new sermon series? Three weeks out? Two weeks out? One week? Week of?

Question #4 (32:45): What's wrong lately?

Why I Never Became A Pastor, No Days Off In Ministry, & Church PR Nightmares Jul 26, 2023

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Question #1 (2:15): Brady, what's the story behind your Bible College experience? Why did you never become a pastor?

Question #2 (20:43): If you work at your church full-time, what is your day off each week?

Question #3 (36:42): How does a church recover in the social media climate when there is a viral video that tries to cancel the church for false reasons? Our church has gotten many death threats and harassment via phone, email, and especially social media. We've had to turn comments off on most things. I was wondering if you had any wisdom!

Question #4 (50:17): The two of you seem to have such good chemistry. We would like to know what is it you have most in common, versus not so common.

Threads, Podcast Video Studio, & AI Policy For Churches Jul 19, 2023

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Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139.

Question #1 (05:24): What are your thoughts on Threads? Is Meta doing too much? How can churches utilize this new platform?

Question #2 (20:00): Love the new podcast studio. Can you talk about the setup?

Question #3 (28:28): On The Social Media Church Podcast this week, they talked about developing an AI policy similar to how you should have a social media policy. Is that something you've processed at all yet? If so, what would you include in a policy like that?

Question #4 (34:36): You have mentioned that you are breaking into the world of watches! (Happy dance!)I was skeptical until you mentioned Wolf 1834 watch cases! What are you looking at Watch wise and have you made any purchases?

Christian Comments, Text Services For Church, & The Digital Exodus Jul 12, 2023

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Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139.

Question #1 (1:49): Responding to Christian comments like "just preach the gospel!"

Question #2 (7:30): We've long used connection cards at our church for people to take next steps, digitally and physically. And then other signup pages or PCO forms for people to take other steps. I love your view of next steps, and the central hub concept, I've been trying to get buy-in across the board on this and utilizing our website's main page as a central hub. Here in lies my question. I know your thoughts behind mass texting as a church, very limited if at all. What are your thoughts on engaging people through text in keywords and one-on-one follow up for next steps, all through text?

Question #3 (15:45): Will there be a backlash against generative AI where people intentionally move offline?

Question #4 (24:22): What are your beige flags?

Church Podcasts, Photos During Delicate Moments, & Not Taking Our Own Advice Jul 05, 2023

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Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139.

Question #1 (02:27): If a church wants to do a podcast, what should they consider? (Tech, Content, labor, red flags, etc.)

Question #2 (15:58): I'm amazed at the number of churches that do photo dumps on social media. There is the wide spread belief that you should share everything you snap. Just curious of your opinion as to the optimal number of pics to include in a post. Also, am I wrong to feel a bit squeamish about posting pics of people praying or worshiping? Are there any studies on how non-believers react to these? Are we invading someone's personal moment even if it's experienced in corporate worship?

Question #3 (25:45): Are there any "best practices" you guys talk about on the pod/social/website/YouTube that you DON'T do at the church you pastor? If so why?

Question #4 (32:24): What's WRONG lately?

The Damage Of Online Church, Backing Tracks On Social, & Serving Small Churches Jun 28, 2023

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Question #1 (09:31): This is why our pews are empty. We've accepted the counterfeit online substitute for church. It's destroying the local church for a "stay in bed and watch a livestream" type experience.

Question #2 (17:12): Should I or should I not use music in the background of sermon shorts?

Question #3 (22:52): I was curious about the new language on the Nucleus website, "The premium church website builder for small & mid-size churches." I don't remember that delineation before of "small & mid-size" being applied to Nucleus and its capabilities. I'm just curious about that decision and what, if any reason, would be for a large church (I guess what would you consider a "large" church?) not to use Nucleus.

Question #4 (34:00): In honour of the Toronto Raptors latest draft pick "Gradey Dick," what was your cringiest outfit you've ever worn?

New Visitor Follow-Up Plan, Plan A Visit Sequence, & Church Staff Pages Jun 21, 2023

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Question #1 (00:35): Agreed, but what do you believe would be a better gift or solution for guests specifically?

Question #2 (19:38): Brady, how do you recommend we setup our Plan A Visit page on our church's website?

Question #3 (28:50): Brady do you have any ideas for intros on our website from the leadership?

Question #4 (33:51): Brady, when is Nucleus 2 launching? I won't tell anyone. I promise!

Church Red Flags, Live Streaming Destinations, & Social Media Scheduling Platforms Jun 14, 2023

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Question #1 (01:30): What are the top three church tech ministry red flags for you?

Question #2 (12:38): When it comes to livestream, do you think there is value in streaming to multiple platforms (e.g. Facebook, website, YouTube) or do you think it is better to drive traffic to one place? We currently stream to Facebook and website but I am wanting to break in to YouTube this year in a big way. Live-streaming there and then clipping the stream down to the sermon portion seems like a good start but not sure if we should phase out Facebook live stream in the process.

Question #3 (21:05): We are starting to post vertical social sermon videos to multiple platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok). Is there a way to schedule and upload these videos at once without having to log onto each site and do it manually? Also, is there a way to collectively see the response data of these videos with one service or app?

Question #4 (30:09): What are your three favorite non-fiction books?

Question #5 (53:20): What is your favorite color?

Church Phone Photography, Setting Expectations, & Keeping Your Sanity As A Busy Adult Jun 07, 2023

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Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139.

Question #1 (02:32): I need a pros and cons list, church photos taken on cell phones vs. professional photos.

Question #2 (13:50): How do you help church leadership understand how long it takes to do good video work for the church (or other marketing work) that they maybe have never done before, so they have no concept of how long it should take or how many people it would take to produce it and do it well?

Question #3 (24:55): Both of you (Brady and Alex) have many interests and irons in the fire, both in business and personally. Whether it's designing website software, starting new services like SocialSermons, photography, forest foraging, hunting, coffee, sports, fragrances, etc etc, you are also both married and have kids, and Alex pastors on the side. How do you guys stay sane? I know Alex talked recently about reclaiming a Sabbath, and I wondered how this may factor into that larger topic, as someone also has many varied interests, but is wondering if I'm over extending myself.

Question #4 (37:56): I listen each week to your podcasts. I'm 50+ years old & have never purchased or worn men's cologne. I'm intrigued with your conversations about the topic. So much so, that I'm planning on trying some. What are your top 5 or top 10 that one should sample?

My Church Is Camera Shy, Social Media Stats, & Print Media Design Tips May 31, 2023

Show notes

Send in your question via text to 1-800-485-3139.

Question #1 (01:28): How do you navigate creating content in a small church where most of the ppl are camera shy? I've tried asking ppl for testimony, tried asking ppl how they felt about service, we even tried a segment where we highlight entrepreneurs in our congregation as a way to involve community. Overall, engagement is low both on and offline. How do I as the social media manager help turn it around?

Question #2 (09:14): I've been trying to find some data and stats that prove converting our Catholic homilies into short form video would be worth the time it would take to do it. Do you happen to have any data or stats showing performance by churches who are doing this? More specifically, it would be great if it could be data from Catholic Churches. I hear everyone pitching to do it, but cannot find any data to show results. Not to sound all corporate, but what is the ROI?

Question #3 (19:43): Here's a boring but helpful idea for a podcast question. Business card tips? We do a feeding the needy program and distribute business cards for people to know who we are and how to make contact. Tips?

Question #4 (25:14): What are your hottest food takes?

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