What is the future of virtual reality? Will Amazon’s new social network compete with Facebook?
Our regular guest, Kenny Jahng, answers these questions and more in this new podcast with Nils Smith. Together, they share their experience and insights from their immersive virtual reality (VR) experience at VR World in New York City. Kenny and Nils try to predict the future of VR in churches, like having a quiet time with a VR tour of Jerusalem, or attending an actual worship service through VR in your own home. They also discuss how Amazon’s new social network revolves around and with their actual products for sale. Is this a threat to Facebook?
Find out more in this new episode. Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.
Show Notes:
Virtual Reality World (VR World NYC)
In this day and age where time is the most valuable commodity, more and more people are starting to appreciate podcasts.
Today, Nils and Jay Kranda tell us how podcasts are becoming more relevant and creating greater opportunities for churches. In this episode, we will also get to know the podcast opportunities beyond just the weekend sermon.
TVApp.church is also giving away free Amazon Alexa Skills for ministries. Just sign up at TVApp.church/alexa.
Find out more in this new episode and share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.
Show Notes:
The recent disaster in our country proved one thing true,our churches weren’t prepared on how or what to communicate in the midst of the storm. While some churches communicated beautifully, others over communicated and some didn’t communicate at all. .
When megachurch pastor Joel Osteen seemed to be silent for a moment in the midst of tragedy, people on social media were quick to attack him for not opening his facility in Houston, Texas to those in need. It turned out only to be not true as it was nothing more than a lack of communication between him and the public. His church was also flooded and he wasn’t able to immediately open the doors and risk doing more harm than good. Everyone has an opinion on what he should have done and I’m sure if he had a do-over he might have done things different. This podcast is not about Joel Osteen, but it is about what every pastor faced in the midst of this storm when you feel speechless, but the world is looking to your words for comfort and direction.
Needless to say, public relations or PR, can be critical in times like these.In this episode Justin Dean, author of PR Matters: A Survival Guide for Church Communicators, shares with us about the importance of church PR today. Nils and Justin also talk about how churches should respond to disasters and how church leaders should handle crisis situations.
Share your thoughts or questions with us on social media! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.
Show Notes:
Talking about money inside the church can be awkward for some but that doesn’t make the topic less important.
There are many lessons in the Bible about giving money to the church and about being generous. But how does a church and their leaders encourage the congregation to be more generous without sounding like extortionists? Listen to this new podcast with Trent Dunham, president at Dunham+Company, as we discuss how to create a culture of generosity in the church.
Find out more in this new episode. Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast in your posts.
Show Notes:
The Bible is currently used by more than 30,000 church organizations and denominations in the world. It would seem like presenting the Bible in it’s barest form is impossible without raising theological debates.
Our friends from Museum of the Bible, however, believe they can engage the people with the Bible in a fun, innovative, and educational way. Museum of the Bible invites people to engage with the history, narrative, and impact of the Bible. In this week’s episode, we are joined by Jeremy Burton, Director of Communications for Museum of the Bible, to talk about Bible engagement for all faiths and all walks of life, while using innovative methods to boost social media efforts.
Museum of the Bible is located 3 blocks south of the US Capitol in Washington D.C. and is currently under construction. They will open in November 2017.
Show Notes:
When you hear the word “rebranding” it usually signifies that something needs to be changed. So if people want to rebrand the Bible, does it mean there is something wrong with the Word of God?
We know that there is nothing wrong with the Bible in itself, the real problem lies on how people perceive the Bible. Many people tend to see the Bible as an archaic text with rules and laws that are harsh, judgmental, and impossible to follow. Others view it as a book that has a lists of do’s and dont’s in life; and when you violate enough of them and you get a ticket to hell. There has been too much familiarity of the Bible in the Western world that it has lost its real meaning to them.
In this week’s episode, Arthur Satterwhite from the American Bible Society joins us in sharing all the reasons why the Bible has to be rebranded and how important it is for people to know the real message of God’s Word and enjoy the goodness it has to offer.
Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.
Show Notes:
If there is one thing that we keep on hearing from our church leaders who use social media, it’s that “Social media is a tool for evangelism!” - and it’s something that most of us agree with. The rest of the details, however, often do not follow. How exactly do we use social media for evangelism? Do we bombard Facebook with John 3:16’s? Do we create inspirational content and insert hints of the Gospel in them? Or do we just put selfies of our senior pastors on Instagram?
It seems easy to answer but laying out a blueprint for social media use in our ministries isn’t as simple as it appears to be. Joel Southerland joins us in this podcast to answer these questions about social media and evangelism.
How does your church utilize social media? Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.
Show Notes:
Joel Southerland - Twitter
Peavine Baptist Church - Facebook
Peavine Baptist Church - Twitter
North American Mission Board
Jay Kranda, a good friend and a great leader, has been our co-host since 2015. He’s been quite occupied with a couple of things, both in church responsibility and his personal resource "Healthy Online Church."
One of the updates Jay has for us is their new product offer in TVApp.church: Amazon Alexa Skill. They also have a Free Amazon Alexa Skill Giveaway through their TVapp.church Facebook Page.
Nils and Jay also share a conversation about trends and what they do with their social media profiles.
Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.
Show Notes:
Back in the day, our early Christian ancestors only had a few manuscripts and pages of the Bible which they can only effectively use when they’re together. Thanks to advancements in technology, the few rare scrolls became mass-printed books that are now available to everyone who wanted to own and read the Bible. Technology has played an important part in spreading the Gospel of Christ. If it benefited us in the past, why do some people and churches still fear embracing technology? Are we over-digitizing the church? How far is too far? In this new podcast with Nils Smith and Jason Caston from iChurch Method, we’ll be talking about technology trends, social media, and how they have affected the church before and how they are essential today, more than ever.
Share your thoughts with us! Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.
Show Notes:
Before the general public came to understand the concept of blogs, “vlogs” suddenly came out. This left a lot of people confused and uneasy. What is a vlog? What is it about? How is it different from a blog? In this new episode, we have Sean Cannell of Video Influencers join Nils Smith to tell us that vlogging is not merely converting your written blog to a video format, it opens up a lot more opportunities to connect with people on a personal level and touch lives– one key goal for every ministry. If you’re thinking about starting a vlog, this podcast will be extremely helpful.
Should your church or pastor start a vlog? Should you start one? We’d like to hear from you, use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.
Show Notes:
For some people, hearing the word “bots” scares them. Others, however, see this innovation as a relief and an opportunity to make life easier. In this new episode, Chad Hugghins from CV Outreach joins Nils Smith to discuss how Facebook Messenger Bots can add a whole new array of functions to Facebook's messaging app and how this change relationships between ministries and companies with their users.
Do you think your ministry would benefit from using Messenger Bots? We’d like to hear from you, use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.
Show Notes:
Has your church become culturally irrelevant in your community?
Many churches today have accepted the challenge of doing the Great Commission but many are stuck and don't know how to do it. In this episode, Rob Peabody of Awaken My City, discusses with Nils the importance of leveraging technology for discipleship instead of traditionally fighting against it. Rob emphasizes how it is important for us to identify the culture and strategize from there; in this case utilizing social media and technology to engage with millennials.
Have something to share? Use the hashtag #SMCPodcast on your posts.
Show Notes:
This week’s podcast, Nils Smith and Kent Woodyard talk about innovation in church and dig into the core opportunities for churches to technology. Kent Woodyard shares his experience on how he started with Mogiv in San Diego and then to Pushpay as Strat partners to other companies serving churches using technology in leadership, engagement, giving and the likes. He also discusses how Pushpay works in helping the church. Nils and Kent also share their recent experience in Pushpay's Echurch Summit focusing on technology, leadership and communication as the key needs of the church.
What’s your experience with Pushpay? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast
Show Notes:
Facebook has won the social media war! Nils and Jay share their thoughts on how Facebook has topped the social media networks, and name some better things Facebook did and is doing to get way ahead of every platform we are enjoying today. Current Facebook development includes integration of powerful data analytics. Also, Jay shares why he is switching from DirecTV to YoutubeTV.
Share your thoughts with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
How did Facebook win in social media?
Jay and Nils discuss more trends about social media, especially Facebook. Nils recently went to Facebook’s F8 Conference, it’s primarily a conference for developers and people who optimally use the platform. Nils talk about the stuff he learned from the conference. They also talk about the innovations Facebook has done over the years, and Nils also shares his insights about how Facebook has won over social media.
What’s your story about the innovations of Facebook throughout the years? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
How can church leaders use Facebook for their ministries?
Integrating Facebook as an advertising tool in our church or ministry can create a big impact in connecting and engaging with people and bringing them closer to God. In this week’s podcast, Jay and Nils talk about Facebook’s two advertising options: Facebook Boost and Facebook Ads. These tools can help church leaders advertise their church’s content or ministries. They also share each other’s insights about the differences between the two strategic marketing options in Facebook. Hear Jay’s and Nil’s strategic advice on leveraging Facebook ads.
What do you think about Facebook ads/boost? Share it to us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast!
Show Notes:
How do you tell your church ministry stories on social media?
In this episode, Nils Smith is with Brady Shearer from Pro Church Tools. Pro Church Tools is an online platform company that helps churches maximize time beyond Sunday service. They discuss about the questions that are often asked when it comes to accomplishing your church's mission statement — not only in the real world perspective but also in the digital world. Nils then throws in a quick question about what social media platform where church leaders can ideally focus on to improve their ministry. Brady also shares his encouraging words for churches to begin sharing their stories.
What stories do you share about your ministry through social media? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
Do you believe that social media can boost your ministry?
Nils Smith is joined by Warren Bird from Leadership Network for this week’s episode. They talk about the core trends in social media that are essential for churches and how church leaders can utilize those features. They also talk about the ideas and widely asked questions about online campuses. Lastly, take note of their predictions about the latest trends of social media for churches in the next five years.
What are your Social Media ideas for your church? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
Leadership Network Advanced - for newsletters and regular promotions for SMC podcasts
How to Break Growth Barriers by Warren Bird - for churches of all sizes
Virtual/Augmented Reality and Facebook Messenger are now a trend with their latest updates that are also essential in interacting and connecting people together.
Nils and Jay have been talking about VR for about a year now. But, in this week’s Social Media Church podcast episode, they discuss about the advantages of integrating VR and Facebook Messenger to your ministry. They also discuss about how the interface of each platform is useful for handling your church ministry.
What d’you think of Virtual/Augmented Reality and Facebook Messenger’s latest updates? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
Matt McKee of Circle
How can we integrate technology and social media to our churches?
Jeremy Smith of Churchmag joins Nils Smith in this week’s SMC podcast. Churchmag, formerly Churchcrunch, is a place that offers great resources that help churches become more tech-savvy and connect with even more people. Let’s hear their discussion about how churches are progressing with technology and what should be improved with technology and social media for the sole purpose of spreading the gospel.
How’s your church doing with technology? Share it with us by using the hashtag #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
Churchmag - The #1 Resource for Church Technology and Creativity.
Social media is a great way to build an online community where people can connect with each other.
In this week’s Social Media Church podcast episode, Nils Smith and Jay Kranda talk about Online Church Models and how you can promote your Online Church through social media. They also discuss about strategies that are used or can be used by online churches. Jay also shares his insights about his social media prediction!
What strategy are you using for your online church? Share it with us by using our hashtag #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
Facebook Live - a powerful tool for broadcasting your ministry
CV Outreach - awesome partnership for online churches
What’s the next big thing in social media over the next few years?
Kenny Jahng, the Pastor of Media and Innovation at Liquid Church, joins Nils in this week’s podcast as they talk about their predictions on social media. They also discuss how social media was introduced to people, how it was developed throughout the years, and how it could be improved. Moreover, they also identify the differences between social media platforms offering almost the same features as the others.
Do you have your own social media predictions too? We’d love to hear it! Engage with us through #SMCPodcast.
Show Links:
Check out Kenny Jahng’s insights HERE!
Check out Nils Smith’s insights HERE!
It seems like Social Media has gone to the next level in terms of communicating and connecting people together. In today’s episode, Halie Powell joins the conversation as they talk about how Social Media platforms are used by different clients and the process of building a response system that suits their brand, target audience, and etc. Nils shares the importance of having that ‘wow factor’ when responding for each platform so that the audience can really feel that they are heard. Tune in to the podcast and share what you think!
How do you respond to social media comments? We would like to hear from you! Share it to us by using the #SMCPodcast.
Show Notes:
Ideal Social Media platforms for your response system:
Sprout Social a superb platform if you have unlimited budget
Agorapulse is a great option for a more affordable solution
Other alternatives: Buffer, Social Report
Jay has been interviewing different church online pastors for a series he has been doing on jaykranda.com/blog. In this podcast Jay turns the tables and interviews Nils and asks how he would set up a church online today! Make sure you like us on Facebook so you can join in for our Facebook Live streams!
Nils and Jay use Zoom.us Webinar Facebook Live feature for the first time to capture their podcast. Check out the playback of the event on their Facebook Page! During the Facebook Live event Instagram is taking viewership from SnapChat, Nils shares about his recent purchase of SnapChat Spectacles, also discuss how to fit Facebook Live events into your current social media posting calendar, and update on Tvapp.church.
Show Links:
https://www.facebook.com/socmediachurch/