Hybrid Ministry

By Nick ClasonBusiness Religion & Spirituality Christianity Technology Marketing

Hybrid Ministry episodes

July 10, 2025 Episode 157: What’s Better for Ministry? Done-for-You or Custom Social Media
Nick Clason breaks down the battle between Done-for-You and custom church social media—and why your ministry might need both. Discover how a hybrid ministry strategy saves time and amplifies your church’s voice. This episode unpacks it all and points you to the ☀️SUMMER Social Pack—the perfect combo of polish and personalization.
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET THE PACK FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/157
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz
--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick
--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
//VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
//BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
//OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Done vs Custom Social Media
00:19 The Tension Filled Debate
00:51 Custom - Pros & Cons
03:39 Done for You - Pros & Cons
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00;00;00;04 - 00;00;29;18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Let's settle the debate that has been splitting up church staff rooms for years. No, I'm not talking about oat milk or regular milk in your lattes. I'm talking about done for you. Social media versus custom social media. Let's check it out. So let's break it down. DIY or custom social media is just simply better. Like, it's like eating organic.
00;00;29;18 - 00;00;55;08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like, you know, it's better. You know, it's good for you. You know, it's what you should do. However, as you also probably know, it takes so much longer. And that's what leads us to then pivot back into the done for you. Because it's simple. It's easy and it's done for you. So let's break these two things down. So what are the pros of doing a custom social media?
00;00;55;10 - 00;01;29;02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
One with your name, your face, your personality? Well, the first thing is obviously it's tailored for your people. It can be tailored for your people because you're their pastor. You know what they like. You know who they are. You know what they need, and so you can create that for them on your social media feed. The other thing, like we talked about in the episode linked right here, is that it showcases your voice through a series of what Hubspot's trends report is calling Micro Connections.
00;01;29;08 - 00;01;50;12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Your voice becomes what people kind of gravity hate towards and are used to seeing on your social media. You want your voice and you want your face. And you got to think, if you're a pastor at a church, there's already an element to you, or there's already an element to your church where your people are familiar with your pastor's voice.
00;01;50;12 - 00;02;19;21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so why should your social media not continue to be an extension of that online? And then the last piece, of course, is that it has the opportunity to engage authentically. We're like a done for you or like a custom thing for you. Like doesn't quite have that as much as because it's just a bunch of rote, static graphics that were done and can be used on anyone's social feeds, across any church, in any part of the world, or any part of the country.
00;02;19;23 - 00;02;37;24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And while the graphics look amazing and maybe even better than what you can pull together, it's not really you. And you don't have the opportunity to then reach through that and engage authentically with your people, which is one of the problems, in my opinion as well, of doing something that is like a done for you, which we'll get to in just a second.
00;02;37;26 - 00;03;02;17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
However, the cons of like a custom social media feeds is it takes hours. And secondly, it also requires skill like you need typically a staff person who knows what they're doing. In my experience, a lot of pastors, a lot of church, ministry people, they don't have that skill or they don't have it yet. And so they don't hop in to learn that skill and therefore they just shy away from it.
00;03;02;17 - 00;03;27;06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Which I get, like, we don't like to kind of put ourselves out there into new and sort of like uncharted territory. There is another thing out there that, let's just be honest, like, people feel this pressure to try and compete with every other big church in the country. Like, you can't be elevation and that's okay, right? It's not necessarily a bad thing that your church isn't the biggest, greatest, sleekest, best looking church.
00;03;27;06 - 00;03;50;11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like it's okay that you're not. You can't be them. And, no one's expecting that of you. We just want you to be you. So let's move on then, and talk about the pros and the cons of done for you. Done for you is like ordering DoorDash, right? It's convenient, it's simple, it's easy. And best of all, there's no messy dishes to clean up.
00;03;50;11 - 00;04;09;10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You get all of the goodness and none of the work that has to go with it. So let's talk about the pros of done for you. First of all, and probably most obvious is that it saves you time. Like, you know, you're busy and this gives you a solution to your busyness to still remain active on social media.
00;04;09;13 - 00;04;42;11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Secondly, you you look your feed looks more polished, like you have professional designers and professional graphic artists doing these done for you. Social packs. And so therefore you can lean into their expertise and you can just post their things. And then lastly, it helps you stay consistent because if you take over a fully custom social media strategy, you know that like eventually the week of VBS is going to hit, which is what I'm right in the middle of right now and I'm exhausted.
00;04;42;15 - 00;05;01;07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Or you got summer camp, or you got a missions trip, and social media falls back to the back burner because you weren't able to stay consistent while you were on social media. So those are some of the pros of having done for you. It saves you time, it looks polished and it helps you stay consistent. But the cons what are some of the cons.
00;05;01;07 - 00;05;22;04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Well, it's going to feel cookie cutter right. Again, if they can do it for this church and your church, they can do it for a hundred other churches. The other thing is it definitely lacks your church's flavor like it's not your church on social media. It's some graphic designer in a lab who cooked it up hours away. And that's your on now on your church's social feed.
00;05;22;04 - 00;05;41;11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like that's not really who you are. You're just borrowing something that someone made somewhere else. And then the last part is like, you gotta be honest. Like you might still have to tweak it a little bit. Like there might still be some things that don't exactly fit your church or your church's culture. And so therefore when you post it, captions whatever.
00;05;41;11 - 00;06;01;23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like you have to tweak some of it because it might not fit your exact vibe. What they gave you. And so there's still a little bit of work to do. So let's what's better? Like let's land it once and for all. Let's settle the debate done for you versus custom. What if I told you that you didn't have to choose?
00;06;01;24 - 00;06;27;21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Yeah that's right, because I actually made for churches and for youth pastors the summer seasonal social media pact for this exact reason. It helps you stay consistent. It creates a social media posting calendar. Half of the packs are done for you like they're ones that work. They're sleek, they're modern, they look the part and you can just download them and post them and go and not think anything of them.
00;06;27;21 - 00;06;47;23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The other half of them are custom for you. So yes, a little bit more work, but I've tried to take the like all of the work that you're going to have to really do out of it. There are scripts. I just read the thing and do it direct into your camera. There are graphics just overlay the graphics. You look like a pro, but it's still you.
00;06;47;23 - 00;07;17;21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's still your church. It's still your people on your church, social media feed. All of those things are all in that, like, custom for you. And then I have a posting calendar so you can follow that in an effort to stay consistent. And so that if you do that, you won't fall off the wagon when it becomes a busy week, when it becomes VBS week, when you go off to summer camp, your social media will still have something regularly being posted to it three times per week, which is what what I recommend.
00;07;17;23 - 00;07;39;01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And if you download this pack and post at that rhythm of three times per week, it will get you through the months of June, July and August. And I get it. You're watching this video, this podcast dropped in the middle of July. You can grab it now and cram all in, because coming up in just a couple of weeks is going to be our full social media pack.
00;07;39;01 - 00;08;01;19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And if you didn't know this members to my Patreon who get a bonus weekly podcast already for $4 per month, they get this pack as a part of their membership tier. So join get the bonus podcast where we're talking all things hybrid ministry. We're talking all things creative youth ministry programing. You'll get that delivered to your podcast catcher every single Monday morning without fail.
00;08;01;21 - 00;08;23;06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And every single time we drop a seasonal social media pack, it is yours for free and is yours for the taking. I would love to have you check those things out. They are made for you and this is just to hopefully help make your life easier. It really is an entire summer social media hybrid strategy locked and loaded.
00;08;23;06 - 00;08;47;25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's what I do in my church every single week, and I just want to help you win in your youth ministry. So skip the burn up. Skip the Canva at 9 p.m. on every single Sunday night, heading on into your week, and grab the best of both worlds with the summer seasonal social media pack. It is linked down below and let your summer get scroll worthy.
00;08;47;25 - 00;08;51;12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And as always, don't forget my friends to stay hybrid.
9 min
July 03, 2025 Episode 156: 3 Reels You Can Post This Week Without Filming Anything
Need church social media content this week—but don’t want to film a thing? Nick Clason shares 3 ready-to-post reels straight from his ☀️SUMMER Social Pack, built for youth pastors who want freedom and engagement. Discover how hybrid ministry strategy can simplify your posting rhythm and still crush it on Instagram and TikTok—no camera, no editing, no stress.
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET THE SOCIAL PACK FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/156
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz
--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick
--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Let Freedom Ring!
00:46 3 Posts, No Work?
01:29 Reel #1
02:41 Reel #2
03:31 Reel #3
04:30 Why Done For You is Dead
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:01:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
No camera,
00:00:01:25 - 00:00:03:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
no editing,
00:00:03:21 - 00:00:05:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
no stress.
00:00:05:01 - 00:00:09:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Let's be real. Trying to post social media while you're busy
00:00:09:29 - 00:00:17:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
running youth camp, trying to prep a sermon and get that one kid to just eat that one vegetable
00:00:17:28 - 00:00:24:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
can feel like putting out a large campfire with just a small squirt gun. But what if I
00:00:24:14 - 00:00:31:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
told you that this week, even with 4th of July, and even with fireworks and cookouts, and that one student who thinks that
00:00:31:18 - 00:00:34:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
sparklers are lightsabers, that you could post these
00:00:34:28 - 00:00:37:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
three social media posts without
00:00:37:20 - 00:00:40:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
filming a single thing.
00:00:40:05 - 00:00:43:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
No camera, no editing, no stress.
00:00:43:24 - 00:00:59:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Let's check it out. Since it's the 4th of July week, let's talk freedom. No, not the bald eagle on the motorcycle kind, though. Respect, but freedom from that feeling that you have to perform for the algorithm
00:00:59:00 - 00:01:01:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
just to stay visible.
00:01:01:27 - 00:01:09:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I made this episode for the youth pastor who wants to stay active on social media, but also is interested in sleeping.
00:01:09:22 - 00:01:19:03
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This week, while fireworks are flying and hot dogs are being cooked on the grill. This is your let freedom ring episode where you get
00:01:19:03 - 00:01:28:09
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
three reels without any work. Does it sound too good to be true? Well, let's check it out. Welcome, my friends, to the Hybrid Ministry show.
00:01:28:09 - 00:01:40:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
First up emoji summer phrases. Emoji phraseology is a game that I've created and that is available for sale over on Download Youth Ministry.
00:01:40:13 - 00:02:00:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And the social versions of those are sort of built for like, Instagram Stories. But in my social media pack, I took the stories versions, I put them together, I added an overlay, and I made it more of a guess it before the timer runs out. Style of video. And you'll get five of those in my summer social media pack.
00:02:00:21 - 00:02:04:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The good news is that five of those paired with five of the
00:02:04:05 - 00:02:24:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
others in this video, and five of the third example, is going to help fill out your social media feed. Because here's the thing in the summer social media pack, I've got a stack of these reels, and they're all a part of this section called the done for you section, where you very simply hit download and then hit posts.
00:02:24:22 - 00:02:53:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's like a chill day on July 5th, when everyone's recovering from sugar and sunburns and the deep, existential conversations that took place sparked by the fireworks. It's so easy that you can kick your feet up and you can just watch it perform. Coming in hot at number two are the Spiritual Practice Reel videos. I have these reels that help promote spiritual practice.
00:02:53:11 - 00:03:06:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Once again included in the done for you section of the Summer Social Pack. They're going to encourage your students not only in their faith, but to quite literally engage in spiritual practice
00:03:06:12 - 00:03:20:03
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
while scrolling through social media. We got things like prayer. We got things like scripture reading. We got things like meditation, and we got things like guided prayer and Bible study, just to name a few.
00:03:20:03 - 00:03:48:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And again, all of them are included in the done for you section. You simply download, you simply post, kick your feet back and watch your students engage on social media. All right, listen, this third idea, it's like so easy. It just might be like feel like cheating because these are really, seriously easy. They're inspirational Bible verses and they always perform.
00:03:48:07 - 00:03:50:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They perform so incredibly well.
00:03:50:06 - 00:04:09:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And again, they're included in the done for you section of the summer social media pack. Now you gotta understand this, right? The Summer pack comes with a fully customizable posting calendar. I've created a grid for you. All you gotta do is insert what you want posted where. So this week
00:04:09:28 - 00:04:11:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
pops up is 4th of July.
00:04:11:20 - 00:04:16:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You're off. You're at the beach, you're watching fireworks. You don't want to put the work in. No big deal,
00:04:16:02 - 00:04:37:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I got you. What you do is you decide these are going to be the done for you weeks and plot payment. And you are good to go. But here's a here's the problem right linked up here at the top of the screen I talk about why the done for you social calendars are dead because if everything's done for you, what it does is it erases you.
00:04:37:29 - 00:04:44:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The youth pastor already raises you and your students early, raises your leaders from the equation and your
00:04:44:10 - 00:05:03:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
social media feeds starts to look more stock and less personal and less customizable. You want that customizable element. Why? Because you're the relationship. You're the connection. And that's who students are looking for. And that's who students are finding and building up those micro connections on your social feeds.
00:05:03:20 - 00:05:29:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so that's why my pack well, I will help you let freedom ring, let you wash your hands and have an easy week. I also have some stuff that's going to require just a little bit of filming on your part, but I've got the scripts, I've got the templates. I tell you exactly how to do and what to do so that you take it and you are the hero on your church's social feed and on your church's social platforms.
00:05:29:10 - 00:05:51:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Listen, I get it. Ministry doesn't stop just because TikTok rolls out a new trend and you're out there, you're celebrating the 4th of July. That's why I made these. The emoji, the spiritual practice. But the verses. But like I said, the honest truth is you can download stock packs from anywhere. So what sets mine apart? Mine is the fact that I also include, well, I have a Dunphy section.
00:05:51:12 - 00:06:25:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I include a custom for you section, and that's my attempt to help you keep your face and your voice and your personality on your church's social media feed, and all of the ones that I've included in this video, plus my custom for you section of the pack, which has Devo videos or, clip up your long form or, some transition invite style videos made on the street, interview questions, all of those just to help you win on social media this summer.
00:06:25:27 - 00:06:41:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And like I said, all of them are included in my summer seasonal social media pack. The link is right here down below. If you're watching on YouTube, if you're on a podcast catcher, go grab that link as well. But here's the fun news if you are a Patreon paid member, not only
00:06:41:26 - 00:06:49:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
do you get the summer social media pack for free, but I also include a free weekly bonus podcast
00:06:49:08 - 00:07:00:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
where I'm evaluating my programing in live time in an effort to continue to remain hybrid and to, turn up the heat on the creativity in our youth ministry programing.
00:07:00:06 - 00:07:23:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's like having your very own programing assistant in your pocket that is all cheaper. You do the three months of of summer, you add those up. That's cheaper than what the social media pack includes. So consider hopping in and being a $4 per month paid member on my Patreon. Listen, if you don't want to post anything this week, link is below.
00:07:23:26 - 00:07:41:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Let freedom ring, wash your hands, kick your feet up and have a great room. Have a great week! Oh, and also don't ever give sparklers to middle schoolers ever. Don't forget stay hybrid.
8 min
June 26, 2025 Episode 155: The Secret Sauce to Consistent Summer Engagement
Consistency is hard—unless you steal my system. In this episode, I break down my exact weekly summer content rhythm for youth ministry using the ☀️ Summer Seasonal Social Media Pack: 1 spiritual reel, 1 fun reel, 1 carousel, and some bonus hybrid magic. You’ll get the full template, schedule, and content—so you can stay consistent, connected, and (mostly) sane all summer long.
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET IT FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/155
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz
--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick
--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Dodgeball in a Cornfield & Summer Youth Ministry
00:55 My Secret Sauce Strategy
01:46 Monday’s Post
03:17 Wednesday’s Post
04:25 Friday’s Post
05:08 Bonus Ideas
06:11 Amazing Deal
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:06 - 00:00:29:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Consistency is hard unless you have a system. So steal mine if I'm giving you permission. So can we just be honest? Like summer youth ministry is kind of like playing dodgeball in a cornfield. No walls, no rules. Just pure chaos. You're leaders gone. You're students at camp. You simply trying to keep your Instagram feed, not looking like a ghost town.
00:00:29:08 - 00:00:56:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Well, in this video, I'm going to share with you my weekly social media strategy and how I grew a YouTube channel, along with several other social accounts to over 900 subscribers, completely organically. And best yet, it's actually all available to you. Link in the description. For less than a cost of a weekly cup of Starbucks. Welcome, my friends, to the Hybrid Ministry show.
00:00:56:24 - 00:01:18:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Well hey everyone, welcome to the Hybrid Ministry show. If you and I haven't had a chance to meet you. My name is Nick Clayton and in the trenches youth pastor currently serving on assignment in the DFW Dallas Fort Worth area. And I've been passionate about this thing. Digital ministry. I'm trying to make it, possible, accessible and frankly, easy for all of us.
00:01:18:22 - 00:01:45:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I have a full proof system that I actually I want to share with you. And like I said in the open, steal it, man, it is yours. And so every single Monday, I post some sort of spiritual real. My goal, my goal is to post two pieces of content per day. However, what I recommend for most churches and most youth pastors who, maybe don't have as big of a team or as much experience with content is to post three reels per week.
00:01:45:12 - 00:02:04:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So if you are following my proposed and recommended secret sauce strategy, it would be posting some sort of spiritual reel per day. Now, if you prefilled your messages, or even if you like, capture your video live in the room somehow, then I recommend posting it into something like an opus clip. There's a link down below for you to check out.
00:02:04:25 - 00:02:28:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Opus clip where I'll take your message and I'll just chop it up for you using I super easy, super great. The other good thing is, if you do have some sort of like long form message version of your, of your message, if you're teaching in some way, shape or form, when you upload that to like YouTube shorts, you can link a featured video to the short and it can link out to your long form of that.
00:02:28:28 - 00:02:57:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so that's what that's what we do. If you don't have either a, the capacity to sit down ahead of time film, that's what we do and that's what I recommend or B, capture it live in the room when you're teaching, then see if you download my social media pack. I actually have, but a bunch of different scripts to help you get through the summer of videos that you can just shoot on your phone selfie style and edit directly in something like a TikTok editor, an Instagram Reels editor, or even something like Cap Cut.
00:02:57:15 - 00:03:16:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so that's what I would recommend you doing on Monday. And listen, if you're going to steal this, you're just going to grab my strategy. The number one way that you could give back to this channel is a very simple like or a subscribe. It really it costs you nothing over on YouTube or on your podcast catcher. And it really does help us out a whole bunch.
00:03:17:01 - 00:03:35:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Moving on. The second style of post I recommend that you do is do something fun. You know, I think a lot of times in youth ministry we feel like we have to be serious all the time, especially when it comes to what's going on on social media. But the fact of the matter is that think about your personal social media habits, whatever platform it is for you.
00:03:35:23 - 00:03:56:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Maybe it's Instagram, maybe it's TikTok, maybe it's YouTube, maybe it's even something like Reddit or Facebook. You know, I feel a lot of youth pastors on Facebook. Why do you get on social media? Maybe you always get on to, like, do your devotions in a low key sort of sense of the way, hoping that your church that you follow is going to post scripture and, and some sort of reels like that.
00:03:57:01 - 00:04:15:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Or if you're like me, you get on to laugh, to be entertained. Maybe I'm a huge basketball fan. I get on to, watch basketball content. And sometimes, sometimes I'm just going to be very honest with you. Sometimes I even I even get in arguments about my favorite team. So, that's a confession I'm willing to make, but post something fun.
00:04:15:12 - 00:04:48:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And in this downloaded pack, I include some done for you fun content, emoji guesses, or transition hook style videos. Things to have fun with your students. And then Friday, go ahead and post some sort of carousel post. Post a Bible verse or post, something spiritual like what to do if you're facing anxiety. You know, I, I posted that, recently, actually, this link right up here at the top of the screen is, from a video what I posted using my weekly summer content pack and the carousel post performed incredibly well.
00:04:48:08 - 00:05:02:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Go back and listen to that one. You'll see the ways that people were responding to it and says what to do when I'm facing anxiety, what to do when I'm struggling with anger, what to do when I'm struggling with lust, and we feel some of those in there completely done for you. Grab them, download them, post them to your feed and use them.
00:05:02:24 - 00:05:38:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And they're there for you and they're there for the taking. But I also recommend, in addition to some of these things that I've given to you, I've included some of my bonus content. And every week we get together with some of our students and we do man on the street interview style videos, or we do, tier rankings, or we do a guessing game called seven questions like, and we'll get students together on camera, either me versus them, them versus a staff person or them versus each other with podcast microphones or just a little like Bluetooth connected to your phone's sort of microphone, and which interview them we like, have fun, chatting it
00:05:38:26 - 00:05:57:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
up with students, hearing their opinion, and then also like kind of messing around with them on on the edit, which is another really kind of like fun way to create content not only for your students, but also with your students and all of that, all of that. The good news is included in my summer seasonal social media pack.
00:05:57:20 - 00:06:20:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
That's it. That's my one week. You take that, you repeat, you rinse, you repeat. You do it again, copy it, steal it, and implement it in your ministry. But hold on a second. I got an amazing deal for you on the other side. Check it out. So there's a lot going on this summer, I get it. And you want to stay active even when you're doing slip and slide kickball.
00:06:20:16 - 00:06:42:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This isn't a metaphor. I really own this, and someone's probably definitely gotten hurt on it before. So here's the deal I don't spend six hours a day. I don't spend six hours a week on all of this. I've put all of this together. So all you need to do is hit the link in the description and go download the Summer Seasonal Social Media pack.
00:06:42:02 - 00:07:01:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It has my weekly proposed schedule for you for the summer. It also has some pre-made templates, things like man on the street, questions, graphics. All you got to do is overlay that in an editor and you can do it directly on your phone, or even in something a little bit more upgraded, like an Adobe Premiere Pro or a DaVinci resolve.
00:07:01:09 - 00:07:21:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then half of the post that you're going to get are completely done for you. Plug and play and you're off to the races. The other 50% is custom, because I don't think that a fully downloadable, where it removes your face and removes your voice and it removes your personality. I don't think that's a good strategy for social media in 2025.
00:07:21:07 - 00:07:40:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so the good news about my pack is that I still allow you to be the voice, to be the face, to create content with and for your students. And you and your students are featured on your social platforms. But I've done all the heavy lifting on their scripts and graphics and templates and, telling you exactly what to do.
00:07:40:02 - 00:08:04:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
All you gotta do is follow my instructions, put a cell phone camera and you are off to the races. The result? Consistency, engagement, and not fumbling the bag on your social media feeds this summer. Listen, I got you a link down in the description. Thank you guys so much for being here on the Hybrid Ministry Show as we attempt to make digital discipleship easy and possible and accessible.
00:08:04:10 - 00:08:08:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Until next time. And as always, my friends, don't forget to stay hybrid.
9 min
June 19, 2025 Episode 154: Summer Social Media Mistakes (And How I’m Avoiding Them)
Here’s what usually tanks your social media engagement every summer—and what I’m doing instead. Because posting a blurry pic of your youth group playing dodgeball again is not a strategy.
I’ve made all the summer mistakes—so you don’t have to!
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET IT FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/154
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz
--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick
--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 What is your Social Media Strategy?
00:25 Mistake #1
02:49 Mistake #2
04:18 Mistake #3
05:30 Mistake #4
06:32 The Summer Social Media Pack
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:09 - 00:00:22:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Here's what's probably tanking your engagement on social media this summer, and here's what I'm doing to try and combat that, because posting a blurry dodgeball pic is not really a strategy on social media. In this video, we're going to look at some common social mistakes at youth pastors just like you and just like me tend to make as well as I offer a solution for each and every one of those mistakes.
00:00:22:26 - 00:00:48:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Welcome, my friends, to the Hybrid Ministry Show. Well, hey everyone, welcome to the Hybrid Ministry Show. I've been in youth ministry for 15 years, and I have made all of these mistakes. And I want to help you avoid stepping in those pitfalls. So let's hop in to these common social media mistakes. And mistake number one that most youth pastors make in the summer is they go radio silent.
00:00:48:24 - 00:01:12:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
No, the video is not. Pause. I'm just showing you what your social feed might look like, because I know if you're anything like me, you get busy, you got VBS, you got camp, you got missions trips, you got events. One summer I did a kickball event, and I sprained my ankle in front of all of the kids, and I had to literally crawl my way back to the pavilion because I was so hurt.
00:01:12:07 - 00:01:29:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But I was out doing ministry, and I thought to myself, I can't do social media like I'm these are the important things. This is social and this is this is real ministry, social media that can go on the back burner and you need to show up on social media. And here's why. Because our students are showing up on social media.
00:01:29:08 - 00:01:55:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so we two in an effort to try and be where they are, we want to show up where they are. And guess what? You don't have to just pull away in your office and create a bunch of content quietly void of interaction with students. No, you can actually create content with students. And if you grab my summer social media pack, it's actually designed to be three posts per week, some of which are just plug and play like you're at the park playing kickball.
00:01:55:25 - 00:02:12:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You're like, oh, I need to post something. Boom. You drop it when the kids get home, they see it. But there's also content that you can create and film with your students, and not just for your students, but since it's with your students, it also ends up being for your students. So mistake number one is go radio silent.
00:02:12:10 - 00:02:46:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The fixes. In my social media pack, I've baked in three posts per week at a minimum. And then if you are downloading anything else, say like you're a dying member and they give you the social pack monthly. You can filter those things in every other week, and you can actually show up every single day, not only with some custom, content, which is what I offer for you, where you or your students are the actual voices and faces on your social media, but you also then have some of this other kind of like done for you content, which will just still kind of give proof of life to everybody else on your social feed.
00:02:46:14 - 00:03:10:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Let's hop in here to mistake number two. So mistake number two is using static done for you posts. Now listen, I get it. I just actually said to do that. But I say do that in compliment to what I'm offering. But actually my my package here allows you to, to use like half done for you. You need these where you don't have to think about it.
00:03:10:22 - 00:03:37:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You forgot. Oh no I'm supposed to post. You pull it open, you post it, maybe you're on the toilet and you get it done. Okay. But other times I actually give you and carve out for you an opportunity to engage with your students, your leaders, for you and your students and your leaders to be the heroes on your social media packs and so like it allows you to to lean into those inside jokes and, and the the culture that exists within your student ministry.
00:03:37:07 - 00:03:56:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I do it all for you. I tell you exactly how to do it. I tell you exactly what to do. So link down below. Go grab it. Go check it out so that you don't just become a random, generic boring like no context for your ministry social media feed, but you actually become one that is, relevant.
00:03:56:00 - 00:04:18:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And it's popping and it's it's leaning into what's popular on social media now, which is short form, vertical based video. I'm gonna help you, film some stuff. Reels, TikToks, YouTube shorts, whatever works in your context. But you can use it in your context. You can use what I've created, but then you and your student ministry can actually be the heroes in these, on your feed.
00:04:18:22 - 00:04:37:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Which leads me to mistake number three. Not thinking ahead like, you know, you got camp, you know, you got VBS, you know, you got that mission trip. What are you going to post? You don't have a plan? Then that's what causes you to do. Mistake number one, which is go radio silent or you just part of my French fart.
00:04:37:07 - 00:05:01:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Something out. That's no good, because you're like, I ran out of time. I just got to do something. My pack will help you think ahead. I literally scripted it out. June and then July and then August. Away is mid-June already. No problem. Bump it down. July, August, September. Some of them, like emoji phrases like those are summer guess, themed.
00:05:01:12 - 00:05:20:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But like a lot of the other stuff, like it does not tied directly to a season. Grab it and then hey, guess what? Best news of all coming in the fall. I'm going to be offering a fall social media pack. The same archetypes, the same concepts, but fall themed and fall, base and fall topics for you to lean in.
00:05:20:08 - 00:05:41:03
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I will help you plan ahead on social media so that you can spend time on the parts of ministry that mean and matter the most to you and your group. Which leads me to my fourth and final mistake that youth pastors tend to make and is forgetting the hybrid strategy we think it's all about in person, and we're all we're fully present.
00:05:41:03 - 00:06:00:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And by the way, you should be fully present. You definitely don't want to get fired, but you also want to show up digitally. You want to show where students are spending most of their time. You know, Pew Research did a study that said 90% of teenagers spend time, meaningful time on YouTube. Why are we not there? Why are we not there?
00:06:00:10 - 00:06:27:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Showing up as youth pastors, as student ministries, answering some of life's hard questions, and I will show you how to do all of that, not only in the summer pack, but hey, guess what? Maybe you don't want to spend any money. Grab my hybrid strategy. God, it is completely free. And it's also linked down below for your convenience, all you gotta do is pop in your name and your email and, hey, maybe, you know, if you want to give some sort of payment to this podcast, a subscribe would be fantastic.
00:06:27:02 - 00:06:44:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It literally costs you nothing, but it does actually help us out quite a bit. Listen, I know this all feels like a big sales pitch, but the fact of the matter is that the key to social media is consistency. And that's what my pack is going to help you do. Maybe by the end of it you don't need me to be consistent on social media.
00:06:44:18 - 00:07:02:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
That's great. That's the goal. I want you to graduate from this. Maybe you're the type of person that's never going to really lean in hard on social media. That's fine too. Keep coming back. These packs are going to continue to recycle with new content every single season, which is going to be three months worth for you to be able to take and make your own.
00:07:02:22 - 00:07:23:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I want you to win because I want you to take these packs and make your social media come to life with your smiling faces and your students. So like I said, link down below, grab it. And guess what? If you are, interested in this, the best deal, the best value. Honestly, take my money is to become a member.
00:07:23:06 - 00:07:43:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
$4 per month. You get this pack at the, the Hybrid Heroes tier, completely included, as well as a weekly bonus podcast. You know, we just got back from summer camp. I've been talking to my students and talking to all my hybrid. Here's about everything we did at camp. All of the creative elements that we woven to what we're doing.
00:07:43:26 - 00:08:03:03
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And you get that completely for free drops every single Monday. What we're doing in our context, what we're doing in our ministry, a real youth pastor with real boots on the ground experience, helping you lean into the creativity and the hybrid ministry that students so crave. I want to help you, win on social media and win in creativity in your student ministry.
00:08:03:10 - 00:08:09:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Check out the pack or become a member so good that you're here. Don't forget, my friends, as always, to stay hybrid.
9 min
June 12, 2025 Episode 153: What I Posted This Week Using My Summer Content Pack
I didn’t make anything new this week. I literally just hit post. Let me show you exactly what I shared using my Summer Content Pack—and how it performed.
Plus two bonus pieces of content that were the true all-stars at the end of this video!
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET IT FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/153
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz
--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick
--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 I didn't make anything new this week!
00:29 Post #1
01:13 Post #2
02:18 Post #3
03:05 When a post doesn't perform…
04:34 Easy Summer Social Media Strategy
06:06 Post #4
07:16 Bonus Post: 7 Questions
07:55 Bonus Post #2: Drafts
08:37 The Power of Variety
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:02:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I didn't make anything new this week.
00:00:02:10 - 00:00:06:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I downloaded, I posted, or I used the scripts included.
00:00:06:29 - 00:00:15:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I'm going to show you exactly what I use out of my summer social Media content pack, as well as let you know how it performed,
00:00:15:02 - 00:00:17:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
plus two bonus
00:00:17:08 - 00:00:23:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
pieces of content that are also included in the pack. And I'm gonna let you know how those perform as well.
00:00:23:08 - 00:00:28:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They were really the all stars of the week. Welcome, my friends, to the Hybrid Ministry show.
00:00:28:17 - 00:00:44:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
All right, so first up, we have the what to do if archetype. This is included in the done for you section of the Summer social media pack. And this particular post if you're watching here on screen, which is why you should definitely be subscribe to our YouTube channel.
00:00:44:11 - 00:01:03:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So you can see some of this stuff is because, this one says what to do if you're feeling anxious. We had a lot of great engagement on this, including some shares. One of our leaders shared the whole carousel to her Instagram story. Why? Because it's relevant to what people are going through. And so here's what's so cool on Instagram, we had
00:01:03:15 - 00:01:08:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
483 people view the post, 13 likes, five shares.
00:01:08:13 - 00:01:09:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then over on
00:01:09:08 - 00:01:13:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
TikTok we had 151 views with 12 likes.
00:01:13:12 - 00:01:29:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The second post type that you're going to see is the Devo style clip. Now this one is included in the custom for use section, where I've included scripts and graphics and templates, and depending on what that type of post is. But this particular one, I use one of the scripts that I've included.
00:01:29:14 - 00:01:52:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so I shot this 1 in 1 take. You'll notice I'm going to cut off because I'm just getting ready to play pickup basketball on Tuesday morning of, before staff meeting this week. And so I just still had that outfit on. I grab my phone selfie style video, low pressure sitting in my office, and then I use this script, like I said, included in the social media pack, and I think it landed perfectly.
00:01:52:13 - 00:01:56:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But best of all, again, if you're watching here on YouTube, check this thing out.
00:01:56:00 - 00:02:06:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I edited this whole thing in the TikTok TikTok video. TikTok was that TikTok video editor at man, and it looks so professional.
00:02:06:24 - 00:02:10:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And here's how it performed on Instagram. We got 179 views, ten likes,
00:02:10:21 - 00:02:18:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
YouTube, 895 views, four likes and then TikTok 535 views and 55 likes.
00:02:18:17 - 00:02:40:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Post three is another one of the custom for you. This is the transition hook style video, so this one is a vertical piece of content where I include the start of the video and then here at the very end, it cuts to one of our, students in our ministry that's actually, acting out the rest of it, where he then stands up and he talks to people about God.
00:02:40:27 - 00:02:52:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And, sometimes we invite people to church. Sometimes we invite people to events to Sunday morning to Wednesday night, or we just simply talk about the importance of leaning in to God and trusting him. But what I want you to see here is look at this on
00:02:52:07 - 00:02:55:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Instagram. 427 views, 16 likes
00:02:55:01 - 00:02:59:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
YouTube 1686 views 16 likes. Check this one out
00:02:59:13 - 00:03:03:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
TikTok only 50 views zero likes.
00:03:03:13 - 00:03:03:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Now I want to
00:03:03:23 - 00:03:20:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
stop here and talk for a second. What do you do when you experience a post like this? My guess is, you've done something like this before. You've tried something before, you've tried your hand at social media, and you've gotten a post like this one, right? Here's the thing. Just like basketball, many of you know I'm a huge basketball fan.
00:03:20:13 - 00:03:41:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Just like basketball, you have to trust the process. Sometimes you guard your kids to the best of your ability. And here is where we do turn around. Three pointer at the end of the shot clock and it goes in. But all you can do is control what you can control, get in position, practice and use and do the fundamentals and just continue to execute.
00:03:41:29 - 00:04:00:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Sometimes it goes well for you and other times not so well. But the fact of the matter is you just got to keep showing up. And that's really the game with social media. And that's what makes it so hard. I think a lot of times for youth pastors is to continue to show up when you experience less than, you know, less than encouraging results.
00:04:00:29 - 00:04:19:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Kind of like this one, right? And you'll notice this is a clunker, but it's a clunker on TikTok. And that's why I recommend diversifying the platforms that you use. I have analytics from YouTube. I have analytics from Instagram, and I like how both of those performed, even though on TikTok it didn't quite perform how I want it to.
00:04:19:16 - 00:04:33:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But that's okay because I still got over 2000 views, or at least close to it. I'm doing math in my head on the fly. Never a good recipe, but, I and I got over 2000 views, across two other platforms, even though I only got 50 on one.
00:04:33:28 - 00:05:11:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Hey, youth pastors, church communications people, would you like to have your social media dialed in for the next 90 days, especially with summer on the horizon? Listen, that's exactly what you're going to get with the summer and seasonal social media packets. A new product that I'm rolling out exclusively on my Patreon is three months of custom strategic content for less than $20, and this is built specifically for busy youth pastors like you who want to stay active on TikTok and Instagram Reels and YouTube without spending ten plus hours a month figuring out what to post.
00:05:11:19 - 00:05:32:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So here's what you're going to get. You're going to get 50% of the content completely done. It's turnkey. Plug and play, post it and go. The other 50% is custom content for you to still shoot. However, I'm going to provide scripts and templates and frameworks so that your face, your students and your volunteers are who are seen on your social media feeds.
00:05:32:24 - 00:05:54:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This is not just pretty graphics. This is a full blown social media strategy for the next three months, designed by someone who knows both youth ministry and digital ministry. And so if you're tired of scrambling for the cost of less than a pizza and frankly, more nourishing than a pizza, grab the seasonal social media pack today. Oh, and I almost forgot.
00:05:55:02 - 00:05:57:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Patreon members get it for free.
00:05:57:20 - 00:06:11:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
All right, post number four is the fourth and final one I'm going to share with you today. This one is again from the done for you section. And this woman is so plug and play. I've already created it for you, even though the thumbnail says I created none of these.
00:06:11:15 - 00:06:27:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I created all of these, but I created them for you to take and to do and to download. And I supply all of the different verse texts. And here's how it performed. Instagram 207 views eight likes YouTube 1198 views 62 likes
00:06:27:01 - 00:06:30:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
one comment from Jenna Jack which says I memorized this passage.
00:06:30:29 - 00:06:36:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then on TikTok 507 views 95 likes one comment to save
00:06:36:12 - 00:06:41:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
the summer social media pack includes eight different types of videos.
00:06:41:10 - 00:07:00:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I've shared four of them with you. Two of the ones I share with you were from the done for you section, and two of the ones I share with you are from the custom for you section. The custom for you are making your social media about you, you, your leaders, your students like making you guys the real heroes on your social media.
00:07:00:24 - 00:07:07:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But to channel my inner Billy Mays here, I want to say, but wait, there's more.
00:07:07:04 - 00:07:25:03
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I also pulled out one of our seven questions archetypes, and that's included in the bonus section of the content with over 100 different topic type ideas. And on this particular seven questions, we took it to our studio in our church, and I sat down with two of our students, two of our high school girls, and they played seven questions.
00:07:25:03 - 00:07:45:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
One of them was thinking of something in their head, and the category was beach item, and she was thinking of Beach Umbrella. And the other one had to guess. And for that one on Instagram, we had 431 views and 19 likes. On YouTube we had 227 views, eight likes, and on TikTok we had 963 views and 21 likes.
00:07:46:00 - 00:08:02:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
We also then, with a couple of our high school boys, sat down and did a NBA dress section, which I do have words for these guys because nobody, nobody included the MVP of the NBA this year one Shay Gilgeous Alexander. Regardless of that, here's
00:08:02:18 - 00:08:08:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
how their post performed on our social media on Instagram 500 views, 17 likes, two comments, seven shares
00:08:08:27 - 00:08:17:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
YouTube 1244 views 13 likes TikTok 862 views 36 likes three
00:08:17:04 - 00:08:18:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
comments and two saves.
00:08:18:05 - 00:08:27:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And listen, the comments are not always the nicest, especially when you do sports stuff. So just be on the lookout for that. Protect your students. Or, you know, I don't know, maybe don't.
00:08:27:19 - 00:08:39:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But here's what I notice, right? Variety works. You'll notice I share with you, two from our PAC, two from Denver. Done for you, two from custom, and then two of my bonus ideas.
00:08:40:01 - 00:09:05:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
All very different varieties. Some spiritual, some not spiritual, some plug and play, some where you have to do a little bit of editing, but every style hits differently. Some are more reflective, some were more scroll stopping. But the big takeaway is that I didn't actually create any of these from scratch. And so like I said, every single one of these comes straight out of my summer content social media pack.
00:09:05:17 - 00:09:10:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You get it for just 1799 is linked down below in the description, which is
00:09:10:17 - 00:09:32:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
three months worth of your social media strategy. And that's actually only $0.07 per post idea. It's insane value. You would not avoid buying something for $0.07 if it was going to really increase. And add so much value to your life. Just look at how performed on our social channels.
00:09:32:16 - 00:09:58:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
These are real results from a real student ministry in Dallas, Texas area. They can be your results to. All you got to do is head over to the link and download those. You won't. You will not regret it. Listen, I want you to save actual time this summer for actual ministry. Let me do the work. Let me play on your social media calendar and hey, I'll see you next week with more info and deep dives like this.
00:09:58:27 - 00:10:02:03
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And don't forget, as always my friends, to stay hybrid.
11 min
June 05, 2025 Episode 152: This Social Media Post is dead in 2025 - What to do instead
The “done-for-you” social media strategy is dead in 2025—and it might be quietly hurting your ministry. HubSpot’s latest report says real impact comes from micro-connections over time, not cookie-cutter content. If you want to win on social this summer without burning out, show up with authenticity, stay consistent, and use tools that amplify your voice—not replace it.
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET IT FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/152
//HubSpot x Masters in Marketing - 2025 Global Social Media Trends Report
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/hubspot-blog-social-media-marketing-report
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz
--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
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--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Tomatoes & Youth Ministry?
00:46 Social Fluency & Micro-Connections
01:50 Social Fluency Real Time Example
02:14 Do All "Done For You" Products Suck?
03:06 Social Media for Busy Youth Pastors in 2025
05:27 Your Custom Summer Social Media Plan
07:00 Micro Connections - Consistency over Perfection
07:58 Social Media without the Burnout
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:10 - 00:00:24:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Buying a tomato is now an existential crisis. I was reading the recent Global Social Media Trends report put out by HubSpot. Link to that down below in the show notes if you're interested. What does that have to do with you and your youth ministry? It actually has a lot to do with you in your youth ministry, because today we're going to talk about social fluency.
00:00:24:25 - 00:00:50:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
What is it? Why does it matter now more than ever, and how churches who are ignoring this are being left behind? Plus, I'm going to show you how you can win at that social media fluency through social media this summer. Even when you're slammed with VBS camps and mission trips. Welcome to the Hybrid Ministry. Why is buying a tomato an existential crisis?
00:00:50:01 - 00:01:14:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Because there are so many decisions to make. It used to be easy. You wanted a tomato. You walk to the grocery store, you bought the tomato. Now there are so many options. Amy Marino from HubSpot nailed it. She says social fluency is what drives results. This isn't about having the slickest reals or trendiest memes. It's about mastering a thing called micro Connections.
00:01:14:07 - 00:01:35:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
We're going to dive into that a little bit later, but HubSpot says that every buyer's journey is made up of small connections over time. And I get it. You're thinking like, well, I'm not selling anything. And in a way, absolutely you are not. But in a way, absolutely you are. That does apply directly to you, your church and your ministry.
00:01:35:11 - 00:02:02:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so students and parents aren't checking your Instagram once and then deciding whether or not they're coming to your church or not. It's made up. This social fluency thing is made up of touch points and consistency and relevance. Okay, like for example, let's break this down. A parent sees your Bible verse post on your Instagram. Then later on that week they see your Wednesday night youth ministry recap and then a post from their kid.
00:02:02:18 - 00:02:32:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You see, that's trust built one scroll, one block at a time. That's what social fluency is. And so whether you're in the market for a tomato or a youth ministry, here's the kicker. These church ministry platforms and products that are, branded as done for you, they suck. Is that harsh? Well, maybe, but here's why. And I'm going to be honest with you, because I believe that it removes you, the youth pastor, from the equation.
00:02:32:26 - 00:02:58:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You are the connection. You are the relationship. And so when every single post looks the same, when every single post looks generic, when every post is downloaded in such a way that any youth ministry in the country in the world can use that product. It doesn't pack the punch that you want it to do. It doesn't build social fluency and you miss the nuances of your community.
00:02:58:22 - 00:03:21:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You know, I talked about it several episodes ago. I said, stop posting video announcements if you're here on YouTube, it's linked up at the top of the screen. But social is no longer about those slick ads. It's about being present and authentic, and it's about being human. But wait, you're busy. You have VBS this week. You have summer camp the week after that, and then you're taking a mission trip in the middle of the summer.
00:03:21:08 - 00:03:47:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I get it. Trust me, I'm a 15 year youth ministry veteran. Also trying to lean in to social media and hybrid ministry. In addition to that, on the weekly basis, you're leading games, you're preaching, you're planning summer trips. That is why I have built for you and for all youth ministries this summer. Social media kit. It is a 50% done for you like I was talking about, but it also has custom for you.
00:03:47:21 - 00:04:16:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So in the done for you category I have Bible verse reels. I have emoji phrase guesses, I have spiritual practice videos and I have what to do when you're facing blank carousel Bible based posts. I also have a full posting strategy that I recommend, and if you don't want to follow mine, then you can build your own. But then beyond that, then this is where I really believe it is the next level sort of pack because it's 50% custom done for you.
00:04:16:20 - 00:04:35:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So I have devotionals where I'm telling you what to do, how to how to recap your most recent sermon. But if you don't have any ideas, I just give you a devotional script, read it, memorize it, go direct to camera and you are off to the races. I have interview style man on the street style questions with included graphics.
00:04:35:25 - 00:04:54:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So all you have to do is capture, put together and then overlay with the graphics that I have provided. I have transition hook style videos and I've included the first half of the videos. I've found them for you. All you have to do is shoot yourself, your leaders, your students, your pastor, whoever at the end of the video and invite someone to youth or to whatever event.
00:04:54:05 - 00:05:19:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then finally I have Bible trivia where I have included the graphics as well as the questions for you. So again, this is all very much the grunt work is handled the templates, the graphics, the prompts, and you can quickly swap yourself in to become the hero on your social media, to build that social fluency so that it'll be your voice, that it will be your photos, and that it'll be your vibe.
00:05:19:23 - 00:05:48:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You and your students and your leaders are still what is present on your social media content. Hey, youth pastors, church communications people, would you like to have your social media dialed in for the next 90 days? Especially with summer on the horizon? Listen, that's exactly what you're going to get with the summer and seasonal social media pack. It's a new product that I'm rolling exclusively on my Patreon.
00:05:48:16 - 00:06:09:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's three months of custom strategic content for less than $20, and this is built specifically for busy youth pastors like you who want to stay active on TikTok and Instagram Reels and YouTube without spending ten plus hours a month figuring out what to post. So here's what you're going to get. You're going to get 50% of the content completely done.
00:06:09:04 - 00:06:37:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's turnkey plug and play, post it and go. The other 50% is custom content for you to still shoot. However, I'm going to provide scripts and templates and frameworks so that your face, your students and your volunteers are who are seen on your social media feeds. This is not just pretty graphics. This is a full blown social media strategy for the next three months, designed by someone who knows both youth ministry and digital ministry.
00:06:37:20 - 00:07:01:24
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so if you're tired of scrambling for the cost of less than a pizza and frankly, more nourishing than a pizza, grab the seasonal social media pack today. Oh, and I almost forgot. Patreon members get it for free. You know this HubSpot, trends article? There's a quote that says A buyer's purchasing experience is made up of small connections over time.
00:07:01:24 - 00:07:23:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And quite frankly, that's the same thing that is true with students. A student's discipleship journey is built on these things called micro connections. And so in person that's youth group. That's high five, that's fist bumps, that's showing up at their football games. But we now have the advantage in a hybrid world to lean into the digital side of those relationships as well.
00:07:24:05 - 00:08:01:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Social posts, DMs, reels, stories. They're all digital handshakes. And so I encourage youth pastors to show up consistently, not perfectly, but just regularly and show up. And the way that you show up is by putting your voice, your face, and your ministry out there. And that is a way to build that social fluency. But with the summer social media pack, you're also not going to be burning out while you're still making those digital and in-person micro connections, because I've done it all for you.
00:08:01:07 - 00:08:25:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The fact of the matter is, social media in 2025, it's not optional. It's spiritual hospitality. And the thing is, the churches who get this social fluency, they will reach more people. They will reach more deeply. So do you want to crush it this summer without cloning somebody else's completely done for you scripted strategies and grab down below link in the description.
00:08:25:29 - 00:08:35:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The Summer kit, and you can take your social media to the next level. Well, don't forget my friends and as always to stay hybrid.
9 min
May 29, 2025 Episode 151: Gaga Ball vs 9-Square
Two legendary youth ministry games. One epic showdown. Will Gaga Ball’s chaos reign supreme? Or will the high-flying strategy of 9 Square take the crown? Stick around as we settle the score once and for all — and help YOU pick the ultimate youth group game!
9-SQUARE
https://walmrt.us/4lFQtMq
GAGA BALL
https://walmrt.us/42T5weo
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET IT FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/151
🦸 BECOME A HYBRID HERO
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hybridministry/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clasonnick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HybridMinistry
Website: https://www.hybridministry.xyz
--------------
🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick
--------------
🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Gaga Ball vs 9-Square
00:26 Pros & Cons of Gaga Ball in Youth Ministry
02:53 Pros & Cons of 9-Square
05:43 Making Your Decision
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Two legendary youth ministry games. One epic showdown. Will Gaga Ball’s chaos reign supreme? Or will the high-flying strategy of 9 Square take the crown? Stick around as we settle the score once and for all — and help YOU pick the ultimate youth group game
00:00:26:28 - 00:00:52:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Hey, everyone, welcome to the Hybrid Ministry show. Today we are going to be exploring Gaga ball versus nine square. And let's just imagine that you only have a limited number of budget. And you're making a decision between either Gaga Ball or nine square. What do you choose and why? And I got links listed down below for both of them so that you can make your purchase based on and after this video.
00:00:52:08 - 00:01:22:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So let's hop in. Gaga ball. What are the pros and the cons of Gaga Ball? I would say Gaga Ball is super fun. It's fast paced, it's upbeat. It's a good time for everyone who's involved. And one of the other pros in that is it's almost an unlimited capacity. I've seen it before in different youth ministry settings of run or like even camps where there's been what seems to be almost 50 kids all kind of flooded into the Gaga ball, center.
00:01:22:19 - 00:01:44:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They're like, you can get so many kids now. The game does kind of take forever, but you can facilitate a game with a high number of students. And so those are just a couple of the pros of Gaga ball. I would say a couple of the cons would be, it does take up quite a bit of like floor space, like the footprint of a Gaga ball pit is pretty massive.
00:01:44:13 - 00:02:06:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so you have to commit a pretty large section of your space, a pretty large section of your floor to gaga ball in unless you get a, portable one. It's pretty permanent, and there's really nothing else you can do in that space. The other thing I'll say about Gaga Ball is, in my experience, it does tend to lean a little bit more middle school.
00:02:06:27 - 00:02:36:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It can get a little bit rowdy. And if kids aren't taking the game seriously or they're not getting out when they should, it can get a little bit chaotic kicking. It can get a little bit rowdy, and that's just something that you have to be aware of and something that you have to manage. If you look at the link that I posted down below though, however, I actually recommend an inflatable and deflate a bull Gaga ball pit because depending upon your space, especially if you have to tear it down, you can put it up every week with like just a blower.
00:02:36:13 - 00:02:54:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Think like, you know, moon bounce type style blower blows up and then it comes right back down. And what that also does is it gives you the flexibility to have it up when you want it, when you need it. But then you can also take it down when you don't want it or you don't need it there anymore.
00:02:54:13 - 00:03:22:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Let's talk about nine Square. What are the pros? The pros. Same thing is gaga ball. It's a super fun game. Like, it really is. But the thing that I think, makes nine squares slightly different than Gaga Ball is, there is a little bit more. Not a ton, but a little bit more strategy involved. I think it's, it requires a little bit more, strategy, a little bit more thought, than Gaga ball, which can be a little like once you get down to the end and Gaga ball, there's some strategy.
00:03:22:12 - 00:03:40:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But at first it's just kind of like, just get people out. But yeah, nine square, I think does have a little bit more strategy. Not to mention it's not as space consuming on your footprint as Gaga ball. Now it still is. Like, don't get me wrong. Like they both take up a fair bit of space. But they're both great.
00:03:40:14 - 00:04:02:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like free time. Get to get the games out ahead of time before youth ministry starts. Style of games. The cons to Gaga ball or I'm sorry, the cons to nine square are that you can only play with nine people at a time. Now, you know, in our context right now, like, nine square is more popular than Gaga ball.
00:04:02:02 - 00:04:21:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so, that line into the nine square, like arena, like it's always moving and that that doesn't seem to be much of a problem. And people will wait like several like, you know, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten people deep, to get in back into the game. But that is a con. Is that an Gaga ball?
00:04:21:04 - 00:04:40:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like up to like, 50 people, depending on the size of your pet. Can start in a game. Nine square. It's only nine at a time. The con, though, on the flip side, is that if you don't have nine to fill it on a regular basis, then it's also not quite the same. You're playing like four, you're playing like six, like, it's just it's not quite the same.
00:04:40:22 - 00:05:00:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like having the full nine, in my opinion, is really like the best way, to play nine square. And so if you're youth ministry was maybe struggle to fill nine on a regular basis or, you know, like there's just not nine kids on a constant basis on any given, you know, Wednesday night or Sunday that are actually going to happen in play, maybe it's not worth it for you.
00:05:00:10 - 00:05:24:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Maybe guy eyeballs more, you know, the way to go or something like that. Again, link down below for my nine square recommendation. And this is called Castle Squares. And the reason I like castle squares is just like the Gaga ball pit. It is portable and take down a ball as well. In our space we have a castle squares, and we have like a full nine square, like arena and the full nine square arena.
00:05:24:23 - 00:05:49:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's great. But we don't ever take it down. It's just it's too much of a pain to do that. But the castle squares instead of having, like, all the individual poles down, it only has the four on the corners. And then just up at the top, it uses straps to create your nine spaces. And so you know, I used to work at a church that I would set up the Gaga ball pit in the nine square pit every single week, set them up and then tear them down.
00:05:49:21 - 00:06:06:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I would I would set them up like middle of the day. We met on Wednesday nights, on Wednesdays, and then I would have our volunteers tear them down when it was over and put them back for me, at the end of the night. And so if you have the space and you have the budget, I would recommend, getting both of these there.
00:06:06:16 - 00:06:24:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They're both fantastic. And they're also both very, like, nimble and portable. You're not going to be committing this corner of your room for the rest of your life to either be nine square, either be the Gaga ball corner. You can take it, then you can move it. You can share space with the rest of the congregation.
00:06:24:21 - 00:06:42:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then if it just comes down to like, you only have budget for one or the other, every context is a little bit different. The current context that I'm in right now, they would vote nine square, but the context that came from, back in Chicago, they would vote Gaga ball. So you kind of got to know your students.
00:06:42:00 - 00:07:01:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You kind of got to know your audience. I would say if you have maybe more high school audience, or a more strategy based audience nine square. If you have a little bit rowdier audience, a little bit more chaotic of an audience, maybe lean Gaga ball, and just make the decision kind of based on your context and based on your students.
00:07:01:04 - 00:07:19:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But like I said, links to both of these down below. If you're on the fence, if you're thinking about it, these are both two products that I have used that I recommend, and that really are good for both setting up and being able to tear down and leaving your space flexible for other things throughout the week. Hey man, I hope that this episode was helpful.
00:07:19:10 - 00:07:27:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Give us a like, give us a subscribe, share it with a friend. And until next time. And as always, my friends, don't forget to choose to stay hybrid.
10 min
May 22, 2025 Episode 150: 5 TIPS | Promotion like a Pro! Beginning vs End of Summer?
When should you promote elementary students—right after school ends or just before the fall kickoff? In this video, we’re breaking down the pros and cons of beginning-of-summer vs end-of-summer promotions to help you make the best move for your ministry. Whether you promote from 5th to 6th or 6th to 7th, or just want to avoid the chaos of unclear grade promotions—this one’s for you!
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry/shop/summer-seasonal-social-media-1540452?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET IT FOR FREE!
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/150
//10 TIPS TO PARTNERING WITH PARENTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3MpS3RjO04&t=4s
//COMMUNICATION IN A NOISY WORLD
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngXlSr64YaIUQ25aqwTI5__iga2uAe0c
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/comms
📊 [FREE] HYBRID STRATEGY GUIDE
https://hybrid-ministry-40060036.hubspotpagebuilder.com/free-hybrid-ministry-e-book
📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/coaching
👉 STAY CONNECTED WITH NICK
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clasonnick
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🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Grade Promotion like a Pro!
00:42 Pros: Beginning of Summer
02:14 Cons: Beginning of Summer
03:53 Pros: End of Summer
06:02 Cons: End of Summer
08:10 Become a Hybrid Hero (https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry)
09:40 Tip #1 - MOST IMPORTANT!
11:54 Tip #2
14:00 Tip #3
14:42 Tip #4
15:58 Tip #5
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TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:19 - 00:00:32:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
When should you promote from elementary into your youth ministry? Whether you promote at the beginning of the summer or whether you wait until the end of summer and closer to the fall and start of your school year. Whether you're promoting from fifth to six or from 6 to 7. This video is for you. And make sure that you stick around to the very end of the video, because I'm going to then rattle off five tips to make your grade and event promotion fantastic, and ones that you can implement right now.
00:00:32:03 - 00:01:00:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Don't forget, as always, there are chapters listed down below so that you can jump ahead to the part of the video that matters the most to you. Welcome everyone to the Hybrid Ministry show. Well everyone, welcome to the Hybrid Ministry show. When should you promote in your youth ministry from elementary into your student ministry? Let's talk about some pros and some cons from summer versus beginning of the school year, or summer versus end of summer.
00:01:00:14 - 00:01:20:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so two pros, two cons from each category. Pro number one from promoting at the beginning of the summer is it is just it is a clean and it is a fresh start for everyone. The school year is a immediately in the rearview mirror. And people, students especially, are ready to move on to what's next and what's ahead of them.
00:01:20:10 - 00:01:44:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so the beginning of summer provides an amazing opportunity, just mentally and from a vibes standpoint, of when it feels like the most natural time to promote from elementary and to youth ministry. If you also promote at the beginning of summer, you have the option. If it's something that you choose to take advantage of, to let your most recently incoming students be able to go with you to summer camp.
00:01:44:08 - 00:02:06:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Now, historically, I have allowed and loved having our incoming sixth graders, our incoming seventh graders be able to go with us to summer camp. And while they're still very young, it's an amazing opportunity to kind of introduce them. And, you know, a little bit. Baptism by fire, to our student ministry, to our leaders, to me, as the youth pastor.
00:02:06:13 - 00:02:28:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And but it does really help, in my mind, help solidify their involvement, and their excitement around student ministry. Now, what are the cons, however, of if you promote at the beginning of the summer, some of the cons I would say are that it is a weird programing time for a lot of youth ministries. Your school year, youth ministry programing is pretty down.
00:02:28:05 - 00:02:51:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's pretty locked in. Summer ends up being weird. You take a lot more breaks. You have a lot more. Maybe have a skeleton program. You maybe don't even meet, like, at all. And so to promote at the beginning of the summer and then introduce your sixth graders into, like, a little bit more of a weird and kind of nebulous time on the calendar, I think can be a little bit tricky, especially with solidifying their involvement and regularity.
00:02:51:05 - 00:03:14:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so maybe, yes, I did get to go to camp, but then they came back from camp. And what are you doing in your youth ministry that they can grab on to you and that they can attach on to in their first few weeks and first few months of being involved in youth ministry? And one of the reasons for that weird and kind of nebulous programing is this other common, is that it is a vacation time for a lot of families.
00:03:14:01 - 00:03:31:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so while it may be best and most advantageous for you to promote at the beginning of the summer, those students are promoted, but then they go on vacation with their families, and maybe they're not on vacation all summer. They're gone for a week, but they come back, and then their friend is also gone on vacation and, it's staggered.
00:03:31:28 - 00:03:53:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then that friend comes back, and then the third friend is on vacation, and then the first friend is that they're like, you know, horseback riding camp or whatever. And so students are all over the place in the summer. And so a kind of promoting in the summer is you lose the optionality for just regular kind of consistent attendance and regular and kind of consistent programing, you know, for your students.
00:03:53:20 - 00:04:12:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So then on the flip side, if you're like, okay, yeah, you're right. Those are some disadvantages for sure. Maybe we should consider promoting at the end of summer. Let's talk a little bit about what the pros and the cons are about promoting at the end of summer. So a pro would be is that students do enter into your programing now.
00:04:12:13 - 00:04:48:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And what I would say is peak programing time for most youth ministries in the world. And so the important thing that we need to understand is that most student ministries have a solid, like, you know, post Labor Day to Memorial Day calendar of student ministry. And so if you want to give them your like best version of programing, put your best foot forward, it might be most advantageous for your students to step into your most well done, most fully hatched student ministry programing, which is going to take place at the end of summer rather than the beginning of summer.
00:04:48:02 - 00:05:13:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The other pro is that they are a few months older and they are now in middle school. You got to think if you promoted the beginning of summer, they've just been in elementary school and now they're stepping into middle school version of programing, but they've never actually been in middle school. And so you'll have them for three months with an elementary school mindset rather than a more middle school mindset.
00:05:13:21 - 00:05:35:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so those three months, you might not think they're big deal, but from a, just development and from a maturity standpoint, those three months do make a major difference. And you probably have heard this before, but a kid develops the most from the ages of 0 to 3. And then the second period of time where they develop the most is from sixth grade to eighth grade.
00:05:35:15 - 00:05:54:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so there's going to be a lot of development happening in your sixth graders. And then if you know, if you promote in seventh grade, also that seventh grade level as well, they're right square in the middle of that second most major developmental three year run that they're ever going to experience in their entire life. And so a pro could just be that maturity piece.
00:05:54:02 - 00:06:19:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They're able to sit a little bit longer in chairs. They're able to, experience more of a youth ministry setting rather than just simply an elementary setting. What are some of the cons of promoting maybe at the end of school year? You know, this is maybe one of my biggest cons in this entire list is that when you are done with school, the last day of school, whatever grade you're in, what do you tell everyone that very moment that you step out of the school into your parents car?
00:06:19:20 - 00:06:38:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Or the very next time someone asks you what grade you're in, you don't say, if you left fifth grade, you don't say, I'm in fifth grade. No, you say you're in sixth grade. And so if that church you're not allowing them to move up when they're emotionally moving up. I think that's a tough sell for a lot of kids in that age group.
00:06:38:13 - 00:07:00:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They're ready to move on to what's next. And so to hold them back for all of June, all of July and all of August, that in my opinion, that can be a little bit tough. In the same way that there's a lot of kind of tough moments and tough decisions to make when making this decision. But I think one of the toughest ones for the actual student is going to be the fact that they're not able to move up when mentally they've graduated.
00:07:00:07 - 00:07:18:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Right? We all the graduation has happened in May, and then to hold back on the church graduation until the end of summer, that just really doesn't fall into alignment with the way that their life, you know, is working at the time. And then the last con here about promoting at the end of summer is very simply, they can't come with to camp.
00:07:18:29 - 00:07:36:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
If you choose to hold them back, you do rule them out of that ability of being able to go with you to summer camp. And if that's a value of yours, if you want to help integrate new students, if you want to help give students, the the best week that your student ministry has to offer in most cases is a week of summer camp.
00:07:36:22 - 00:08:03:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They don't get to experience that until a full calendar year later. And maybe there's some value in waiting and, you know, looking ahead to, and being excited about camp, but maybe there's, a little bit of a loss there as well. And just the fact that, like, they're brand new customer, so to speak, of your student ministry and what you have to offer, and they're not allowed to go with to camp, that might just be a little bit of a bummer.
00:08:03:00 - 00:08:45:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And you may miss an opportunity to kind of grab some momentum and ride it, into the school year. So everyone, this episode is actually brought to you by my very own Patreon. The Patreon is my bonus podcast community, and I call those people over there who are subscribers. They're my hybrid heroes, and what we do over on my Patreon is a every single resource that I've created in my shop is free for all Patreon members, along with a weekly bonus podcast episode and the cost right now to join my Patreon, I may go up, but right now legacy members can get it for $4 a month.
00:08:45:17 - 00:09:09:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So every single time I create a resource that's just through my Patreon that costs money for people who want to go on to my shop and buy something, you get it for free as a patron member, plus a weekly bonus podcast where I talk about what I do on social media every week. I talk about what I do in my programing every week to try and keep it creative and hybrid, and how we're using sidekick over there.
00:09:09:28 - 00:09:28:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
In fact, this week I talk, for example, about how I didn't even have a tech person to run Pro presenter. I ran a game from the stage on my computer with name picker on sidekick by myself on my computer. It's amazing. I'll tell you how I do all that type of stuff on my Patreon, so go check it out.
00:09:28:18 - 00:09:47:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Link down below in the description where it says Become a Hybrid Hero. Click that link and check it out. Hey, you get a free week trial if you're interested in it. Back to the show. With all those things being said, regardless of where you're promoting, regardless of if you're beginning of summer, regardless of if you're end of summer, I do have five amazing.
00:09:47:20 - 00:10:17:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
An incredible tips that you can implement right now. Because here's the fact when this video drops, you've probably made your be for summer or end of summer decision. But these five tips, they can be implemented by you right now regardless of what decisions have been made. So tip number one is, in light of all the pros and light of all the cons, regardless of where you land on that decision, if as we laid those out, you maybe were even swayed from like I was an end of summer guy, now I'm a beginning of summer guy, or vice versa.
00:10:17:26 - 00:10:36:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This tip is the most important tip of all the tips. Make sure that your grade promotion is in alignment with the rest of your church. And what I mean by that is you can't have your kids ministry promoting from kindergarten to first grade, from first grade to second grade and all the way through at like, say at the beginning of summer.
00:10:36:01 - 00:10:57:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then you hold until the end of summer, even if you personally are in a disagreeing state with the rest of the way, your church, especially your elementary maybe your college ministry is promoting your most important value in this is alignment with the church from top to bottom. And so, you need to make sure that you're on the same page with your kids ministry.
00:10:57:29 - 00:11:15:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You need to make sure you're on the same page with your collegiate minister so that you guys all together collectively have one big day where everyone promotes up. That's also going to make things that you might not, might not care about quite as much, like database. And like those types things all of those promote at the exact same time.
00:11:15:11 - 00:11:44:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And it would be confusing if elementary and college promoted at one time and student ministry held back and promoted at another time. And so just make sure you're in alignment. And if you know your kids ministry makes a decision that you're not much of a fan of, I would I would argue that's important to either a, give in caved in to their decision, or b find a way to get on the same page so that you can collectively walk out arm's length as a church unified that says, hey, this is what we as a church are doing.
00:11:44:14 - 00:12:10:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
That is, in my opinion, the most important thing in all of this, regardless of where you land, as far as a decision, that individual decision is made. Tip number two is that you should host a parent meeting and subsequent tours in said meeting. Now, you'll never you'll never have better attendance for a meeting than when you're bringing a fifth grader into sixth grade or a sixth grader into seventh grade.
00:12:10:16 - 00:12:37:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You know, in a recent episode that I had about ten tips with partnering with parents, which was a fantastic episode with my friend Josh Bowman linked right here at the top of the YouTube screen, we discussed how meetings are difficult for attendance for parents, and quite honestly, not the most effective use of your time. However, if you are going to have a meeting, if you are going to catch a wave, and if you are going to have a decent attendance for something, it is going to be during this transition.
00:12:37:01 - 00:13:06:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So host it, put your best foot forward, bring out all of the stops, give those parents a tour of your space so that they know exactly what there is to expect in student ministry, and that they'll feel comfortable handing their kid off from elementary. Which, you got to think about this parents have had their kids in the exact same ministry now for that kid's entire life, and now they're being asked to trust a completely new person, a stranger.
00:13:06:21 - 00:13:26:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
That's you and your ministry. And so make sure that you roll out the red carpet. You may not get 100% attendance, but just know this if you don't get 100% attendance, that means the people that don't attend, they probably trust you. And if they don't attend and they don't trust you, it probably just means they couldn't make it for one reason or another.
00:13:26:26 - 00:13:43:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so host that meeting and let me give you a little bonus. Pro tip from the hybrid Ministry show. Find a way to record it. Capture the audio out of your soundboard and send out the audio, podcast later. Throw a video in the back of the room so that you can link to audio in the video.
00:13:43:06 - 00:14:07:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Or just like voice memo, your phone from where you're talking at the front of the room, and send that audio out later, even if it's rough and dirty. But get that in the hands of your parents, especially the ones who don't make it. Now, tip number three is find a way to celebrate those sixth graders or seventh graders arrival.
00:14:07:14 - 00:14:31:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Give them swag. Create a spirit tunnel. They're the VIPs for the day. And the fact is, in our culture and in our world, that's the exact opposite. When a new grade comes into middle school or junior high, they're not the VIPs. They're the low people on the totem pole. And while they are the lowest on the totem pole from a factual standpoint at church that should be flipped on its head.
00:14:31:28 - 00:14:55:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The last shall be first and the first shall be last. And so therefore, let's make our new incoming grade. Let's make them feel like a million bucks. Tip number four is make sure that your parent section on your website, your overall website, your social media, make sure all of that is up to date. You have a whole new crop of eyes looking at your website, looking at your social media, you know?
00:14:55:21 - 00:15:29:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Link down below. I have an entire four part playlist on the importance of communication in church, and especially the importance of an up dated website that is very simply the most basic step in all of hybrid ministry and all of social media ministry. Your website needs to be your backstop and your landing spot. That is what allows you to stop promoting on your social media, because your website can handle the information and the the the the disseminating of the actual data that the people are looking for.
00:15:29:09 - 00:15:57:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But it you can't do that on social media if your website is not up to date. And when you have a brand new wave of parents in a brand new wave of students, it's important, just like you're programing, to also online put your best foot forward, and that includes making sure that your website is up to date and your social media looks the way that you would want a brand new parent who might be freaked out about sending their kid from elementary into middle school to look at your website like, oh yeah, I can trust this person.
00:15:57:16 - 00:16:32:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And the fifth and final tip is perhaps consider creating their own week for them. So in our current context, when our, VBS is going on church wide for all the elementary age kids, we are offering a very custom specific fifth grade into sixth grade only week. And it is basically their own version of VBS. And so because of that week, we don't actually let our sixth graders come with us to camp, which is a deviation from my strategy as a 14 year plus youth ministry veteran.
00:16:32:26 - 00:16:48:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But because we offer this week, it allows them to have that same momentum that a week of camp would allow them to do without bringing such a young kid on an overnight camp. And so it allows them to have a full year in our ministry before they do ever go to camp. But it's not that they get nothing.
00:16:48:09 - 00:17:07:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
They get their very own week. They're the only grade in the entire church that gets their own specific custom, laser focused week. And so it's a week for fifth graders into sixth graders and our church is called Cross Creek Church. And so we call it Cross the Creek Week. And it's the week where those kids come across the creek.
00:17:07:00 - 00:17:36:03
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
We have a creek, physical creek on our campus, and the kids building is on one side of the creek. And the student building is on the other side of the creek, and we deck it out. I mean, we go all in and it is a loud it is a space already week. I mean, those kids are wild and crazy, but it is an amazing week for them to connect with us as the only time that an entire grade gets an entire focus with the students, staff, student residents, student volunteers and we pull out all of the stops.
00:17:36:03 - 00:18:11:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so if you have the bandwidth, the capacity, the volunteer man hours, the space on your calendar in and around your camps and your mission trips to create a custom week, it's just, morning, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for fifth graders. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday during our our work week at church for those kids to experience everything that student ministry has to offer, it feels like VBS from a schedule standpoint, but it feels so student ministry from an actual programing standpoint.
00:18:11:08 - 00:18:39:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It's a way to kind of marry those two weeks and create an amazing promote, time for those fifth graders. And so if you have the capacity or the bandwidth and you this one, I will say you may not be able to pull out this year, but but perhaps put it in the back of your mind and consider pulling it out next year as an opportunity to really enhance and uptake that, grade promotion for those, elementary students coming on in to your student ministry.
00:18:39:17 - 00:18:52:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Well, hey, friends, I hope you enjoyed this episode. As always, I would love a subscribe. It's free on your end and it really would make the world of difference on ours. But until next time. And as always, my friends, don't forget to stay hybrid.
19 min
May 15, 2025 Episode 149: Youth Ministry in the Summer? Should You Shut It Down or Show Up Strong?
Summer is coming, and youth pastors everywhere are asking—do we keep programming or hit pause? In this video, we’ll break down the pros and cons of both options and help you decide what’s right for your ministry this summer. Stick around till the end for a FREE resource: 100 social media ideas to keep students engaged—even if you hit pause.
Plus 3 tips for summer ministry, regardless of the direction you choose
☀️ SUMMER SOCIAL MEDIA PACK
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SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/149
//AVOID BURNOUT WITH DERRY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do3WGIctHDs&t=43s
//SOCIAL CHALLENGE PLAYLIST
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngXlSr64YaKLwZqOkQe7NzOqSVR0-P1s
//100 IDEAS
https://share.hsforms.com/1JOHqd4XOTbC5ZgfXB85BCwnumis
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
Hire me to run your church website, social media or communications!
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🎉 FREE STUFF 🎉
We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
The best way to pay us back is a review or a YouTube Subscribe!
https://www.linktr.ee/clasonnick
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🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/dym
OPUS.PRO FOR AI SHORTS & REELS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//YOUTUBE STARTER KIT FOR UNDER $100
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/articles/youtubestarterkit
--------------
🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Youth Ministry in the Summer?
00:56 PROS: Meeting in the Summer
03:50 Lock in Your Social Media this Summer!
05:18 CONS: Meeting in the Summer
06:45 PROS: Taking a Summer Programming Break
08:24 CONS: Taking a Summer Programming Break
09:32 Tip #1
11:13 Tip #2
12:05 Tip #3
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:22:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Summer is coming, whether you like it or not, and youth pastors everywhere are trying to decide whether they should hit pause on their programing or whether they should keep going strong. I want to encourage you in this video, we're going to explore the pros of keeping your programing going and contrast it with the cons of what it would look like if you chose to take a little bit of a break.
00:00:22:12 - 00:00:43:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Make sure that you stick around for the entire video, because at the end, I have a hundred social media ideas for you to go ahead and take and adopt in your ministry, especially if we choose to hit pause as well as three tips for an amazing summer, regardless of the decision that you choose. Don't forget to subscribe so that you don't miss a single one of our episodes.
00:00:43:08 - 00:01:04:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Now, as we are leading into summer and during the entire course of the summer, and as always, there are chapters listed down below so that you can hop ahead to the part of the show that makes the most sense to you. Welcome everyone to the Hybrid Minister Show. What's up everyone? Welcome to the Hybrid Minister Show. In this episode, we're going to compare and contrast summer programing versus taking a break.
00:01:04:08 - 00:01:27:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So let's not waste any time. What are the pros of staying engaged with having summer programing in your youth ministry? Well, the first pro I would say is that students, sports schedules and students extracurricular vehicular activities tend to take a little bit more of a dip. And so historically, youth ministries have been going strong through the summer. And I'm sorry if they've been going strong through the school year.
00:01:27:23 - 00:01:48:09
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then they take a break during the summer, they match the students schedules. So while students are going strong during the school year, we're going strong during the school year when students tend to take a dip. We would also take a dip. And I think it's worthwhile to consider while student schedules take a little bit of a dip, what if our programing ramps up or at least doesn't go anywhere?
00:01:48:10 - 00:02:10:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Why? Because you may or may not have some students who are so busy during the school year that they're just simply not able to make a Wednesday night or Sunday night. But you have in programing, you do have an opportunity to now catch them when their schedule does tend to take a break. I remember one time, it was the very first week of our summer schedule, and it was the first time that I ever chose to stay to stay engaged during the summer.
00:02:10:23 - 00:02:31:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I looked out across the audience and I saw a student who I hadn't seen for the entire time of my duration and my tenure as a youth pastor at that church. And I had messaged with her mom, and her mom was lamenting the fact that, you know, her dance schedule didn't line up with what our student ministry was, and our student sister had just made a change from Wednesday to Sunday.
00:02:31:01 - 00:02:47:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And at that same time, when our student ministry made that change, her dance schedule also made that exact same change. And so she was so bummed out that we shifted from Wednesday to Sunday because her dance schedule had just shifted from Wednesday to Sunday. So she missed literally the entire school year. But I looked out and boom, there she was.
00:02:47:20 - 00:03:08:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I was like, man, had we not chosen to meet, she still wouldn't have been there. And so I know that you as a youth pastor, you have a heart to reach and capture your students. And so staying engaged in your programing during the summer can offer and allow you to have that sort of opportunity. The other thing that summer programing does is, honestly, it gives you a chance to try out some creative ideas.
00:03:08:28 - 00:03:28:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
In fact, if you didn't know this, I have a, Patreon account where I, weekly share what we're doing in our youth ministry. And it's just $4 a month, which is $1 per episode, where I detail and breakdown everything I'm doing to be creative and stay hybrid. And so this summer, I'm going to be taking you along on that journey.
00:03:28:05 - 00:03:51:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I would love to encourage you if you're one that wants to increase your creativity in your youth ministry, lean into your social media and your digital presence. Come hang out with us over on Patreon, and we're going to be giving that out $1 per week for, the bonus podcast episodes. But it gives you a chance to to be a little bit creative, to try something different that maybe, I don't know, before wouldn't have worked on.
00:03:51:11 - 00:04:26:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This episode is actually brought to you by my very own Patreon. The Patreon is my bonus podcast community, and I call those people over there who are subscribers. They're my hybrid heroes, and what we do over on my Patreon is a every single resource that I've created, and my shop is free for all Patreon members, along with a weekly bonus podcast episode and the cost right now to join my Patreon, I may go up, but right now legacy members can get it for $4 a month.
00:04:26:20 - 00:04:50:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So every single time I create a resource that's just through my Patreon that costs money for people who want to go on to my shop and buy something, you get it for free as a patron member, plus a weekly bonus podcast where I talk about what I do on social media every week. I talk about what I do in my programing every week to try and keep it creative and hybrid, and how we're using sidekick over there.
00:04:51:01 - 00:05:09:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
In fact, this week I talk, for example, about how I didn't even have a tech person to run Pro presenter. I ran a game from the stage on my computer with name picker on sidekick by myself on my computer. It's amazing. I'll tell you how I do all that type of stuff on my Patreon, so go check it out.
00:05:09:21 - 00:05:29:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Link down below in the description where it says become a Hybrid Hero. Click that link and check it out. Hey, you get a free week trial if you're interested in it. Back to the show. All right, so what are the cons? Well, the cons are of course, that you don't get a break in your programing. If you go straight into your school, you're programing into your summer programing.
00:05:29:20 - 00:05:50:09
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You don't get any little bit of a rest. And, additionally speaking, neither do your leaders. And so that, of course, is the con. And that's probably one of the major players in this decision is you've been working hard all September, from September through May all school year. And, and you're maybe looking forward to getting a little bit of a break, maybe a little bit of a breather.
00:05:50:11 - 00:06:14:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And, staying strong with your programing throughout the summer doesn't really give you that option. And in addition to that, because school year and, like fall based launches and the start, you know, post Labor Day and welcome back and back to school Sunday and all the things that go along with traditional church ministry, especially as it pertains to launching strong and launching hard in the fall.
00:06:14:29 - 00:06:31:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You might need to be recruiting leaders. Not taking a break over the summer may not give you as much space to retool and get ready to launch strong in the fall. Or at least that may be some of what you're thinking and some of what, you know, you, you kind of have going on in, in your mind there.
00:06:31:14 - 00:06:52:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so, I just want to encourage you, like, as you're kind of debating through this, like if your priority is having a strong, school year based student ministry, end of summer Rob's from that. I can imagine where that might be a con. Let let's take a look then, here at some of the pros and the cons of, choosing to take a break during the summer.
00:06:52:26 - 00:07:11:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So the pros are that if you do feel like you're running just so hard and so fast and so strong, all during the school year, the summer definitely does offer a little bit of a reprieve. You know, burnout is real among youth pastors. Shout out to my friend dairy. Link down below or right here on YouTube at the top of the screen.
00:07:12:03 - 00:07:48:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
On my episode with him where I interviewed, how does he avoid burnout? It is a fantastic episode, and what I'll just say is, if taking time off during the summer is a way to help you avoid, burning out, then it's more advantageous to not meet during the summer so that you can tend to your soul. But I would just say, maybe it's worthwhile to go take a look at that episode from Derry and see if during this next school year, if there are some practices and some principles that he laid out, that you can actually apply so that when next summer rolls around, if you are considering maybe, not breaking for
00:07:48:00 - 00:08:07:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
your programing as opposed to breaking that, you won't be so tired and so burnout by the time you get on the doorstep of summer. So that you can maybe show up for your students. Another pro, of course, is that you do give an opportunity to give your leaders a break. So if you you know how important it is to lean on leaders.
00:08:07:27 - 00:08:24:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And leaders really are the backbone of student ministry. If you, don't meet during the summer, obviously you don't need your leaders to be there. If you do meet during the summer, you kind of need your leaders to show up, you know what I'm saying? So, that that is one of the pros of choosing to take a break during the summer.
00:08:24:00 - 00:08:50:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
The cons, of course, are like, just think about this. Do you really want to go three months without meeting, like, just like basketball? Student ministry is a momentum game. And so, taking three months off, especially when you probably got, a high level, high flying thing, like camp or a mission trip, woven throughout the programing of your summer to just do that and then come back and not have anything for several months.
00:08:51:01 - 00:09:17:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Like, that's really a con that is worth considering. Like, do you really want to come back and then just be like, all right, see you guys after Labor Day? Like for me personally, that feels like a little bit long and a little bit of an arduous, break. The other thing, of course, is that you're not meeting during summer students most available seasons is the pro, to the reason why you maybe should consider keeping summer programing going.
00:09:17:08 - 00:09:38:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so those are both sides. You can probably tell that objectively speaking, we do choose to meet during the summer. We retool, we scale it back. We we're very creative. We do things that are very different. And so let me just give you three tips, regardless of which decision you're going to, land on which which camp you fallen for this debate.
00:09:38:23 - 00:10:00:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Three tips to help you program amazing things, or at least, do amazing youth ministry during the summer, whether you're meeting or not. So tip number one is follow your church's guide. If you have regular, say, midweek or regular Sunday night activities, church wide kids, ministry ministries, all the things and they take a break, then perhaps consider also taking a break.
00:10:00:21 - 00:10:18:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
If if you're the only group that meets on campus when you meet, then that's not as big of a deal. But but consider following your church's lead. However, unlike the last video in this playlist where I talked about the importance of following your church's lead as a as it pertains to promotion, that's like a level like, absolutely.
00:10:18:06 - 00:10:43:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Do not deviate from your church's plan on this one. I would say I think things can be a little bit different because while some of the offerings for Kids Ministry and some of the offerings for adult ministry may be a little more elective based or a little more optional, if this is your main meeting time, then if you do choose to meet during the summer while the rest of your church takes time off, then stand strong on that and and communicate the importance of meeting when students are more available.
00:10:43:28 - 00:11:11:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Again, you don't have to do as wholesale or full scale of a programing. You can scale it back, you can throw some creative options. Again, I'm going to give you some of those and some of what we're doing, in our student ministry. But you can you can kind of pull back the, the, the programing, intensity a little bit so that you can have some fun and just make it a little bit more of a casual hangout, but the tip is, if you're sure you like, follow, follow your church's lead.
00:11:11:01 - 00:11:27:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
If you're unsure which direction to lean on this debate. The second tip I have for you is if you do take a break, and even if you don't, but if you definitely if you do lean in harder than on social media, because you may not be meeting on a Wednesday night or a Sunday night or whatever night you choose to meet, so you have more time in the office.
00:11:27:10 - 00:11:48:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So lean harder into social media, which is linked down below. The freebie tease at the beginning of the video. A hundred different topic ideas for you, for different concepts that, you can use on social media. So for us, I have a four part social media, strategy and social challenge guide, a whole playlist detailed for free, listed down below in the description.
00:11:48:25 - 00:12:08:09
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Go check that out one episode per video, but this freebie gives you 100 different topic ideas to help you lean into some of the creativity and some of the social media, ideas. And then you can continue to kind of show up where your students are, even if you choose not to meet. And then the third and final idea is just simply this it's summer, man.
00:12:08:15 - 00:12:26:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Have fun. Like if you do choose to meet, have fun while you do. If you don't have fun, do it on social media. Have a blast with your students creating content both for them and also consider doing it with them. And the thing about summer that's so fun. And one of the things that we do is we try to kind of ride the National Day trend.
00:12:26:10 - 00:12:46:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So if you didn't know there is a National day every single day, multiple national days. So this summer, for example, we're choosing like, beautiful Grandparent Day where we're going to play Extreme Bingo, and National Cheesecake Day is going to round out our summer, you know, programing. And and Leon Day, which is, June 25th. It is the, backwards.
00:12:46:24 - 00:13:08:00
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You know, Leon spelled backwards is Noel. So June 25th is when crafters start getting their Christmas supplies out. Last summer we did like National Avocado Day, and we celebrated some holidays like that. And so there's always an option of a thing that you can just kind of trend. So if we don't, we don't female our midweek throughout the, the the regular school year.
00:13:08:00 - 00:13:26:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But during the summer we do we kind of have fun with it. It also is a fun way to kind of create some social media content around it. We'll go around, interview people and ask them, you know, things about each of those topics or whatever, and kind of do a man on the street style video and again, some of that is detailed in that line down below in that 100 free thing.
00:13:26:15 - 00:13:47:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So go ahead and and grab that freebie so that you don't neglect in that you don't avoid social media this summer. Hey, everyone. Coming up in the next episode is the fourth and final installment of this versus playlist, where we're going to be looking at digital ministry versus in-person ministry. And if you're watching this, after its release, it's going to be linked right here on the screen.
00:13:47:29 - 00:13:54:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
If you're watching this live, it'll be releasing next Thursday. But until next time. And as always, my friends, don't forget stay hybrid.
14 min
May 08, 2025 Episode 148: How I’m Doing 3 Months of Content with THIS One Resource
This is your youth ministry summer social media game-changer. With 3 months of ready-to-go posts, training videos, and templates, you’ll never stress about what to post again. Designed for youth pastors by a youth pastor using a proven hybrid ministry model.
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*🦸 HYBRID HEROS GET IT FOR FREE! *
https://www.patreon.com/hybridministry
SHOW NOTES
Shownotes & Transcripts
https://www.hybridministry.xyz/148
//TRY OPUS
https://www.opus.pro/?via=a5d361
//SOCIAL CHALLENGE PLAYLIST
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngXlSr64YaKLwZqOkQe7NzOqSVR0-P1s
✅ CHURCH COMMS DONE FOR YOU
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📋 "PICK NICK'S BRAIN" Coaching Call
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We have all kinds of FREE Things that you can use in your context!
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🛠️TOOLS I USE THAT CAN HELP YOU!
Some of the below links are affilate links in which we do recieve a small commission based on your purchase or use of products
VIDIQ
https://vidiq.com/hybrid
BEST DYM RESOURCES
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🕰️TIMECODES
00:00 Digital vs In-Person Ministry
01:02 Why Hybrid Ministry Matters
06:47 Summer Social Media
09:22 Gear You’ll Need
09:39 Summer Social Posting Schedule
10:01 Done For You 1
10:21 Done For You 2
10:41 Done For You 3
11:11 Done For You 4
11:51 Custom For You 1
13:26 Custom For You 2
15:57 Custom For You 3
16:51 Custom For You 4
17:40 Bonus Idea
--------------
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:00:00 - 00:00:09:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
In this video, we're going to explore the world between digital ministry and in-person ministry, a thing that I like to call hybrid
00:00:09:27 - 00:00:37:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
ministry. Welcome to the hybrid Ministry show, My friends. And in today's episode, what I want to look at is I want to look at the competition between hybrid ministry and in-person ministry. In fact, linked right here at the very top of the video is one of my favorite episodes I've ever done, where my friend Josh sat down with me and he he asked me to take an in-person youth ministry program and make it hybrid or bring about a hybrid component.
00:00:37:07 - 00:00:55:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so we're going to explore what exactly I mean by that. What exactly is digital ministry? And make sure you stick around to the end, because I have a resource that I think will help you absolutely crush, lock in and make your summer youth ministry social media absolutely
00:00:55:14 - 00:00:59:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
pop. I have a resource for you. It's going to blow your mind.
00:00:59:17 - 00:01:19:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Welcome, my friends, to the Hybrid Ministry show. Well, hey everyone, welcome to the Hybrid Ministry show. If you and I haven't had a chance to meet yet, my name is Nick Klassen. I'm a youth pastor of 14.5 years, and I have been pursuing this thing called hybrid ministry for a while now. And let me just help you understand some
00:01:19:15 - 00:01:20:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
of the reasons why.
00:01:20:12 - 00:01:24:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
For me. So for me, there are kind of three core
00:01:24:15 - 00:01:30:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
statistics. There's several out there, honestly, but three that really stick with me is that Gen
00:01:30:21 - 00:01:45:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Z. And we can assume Gen Alpha because we don't have data yet on them. But but this we can assume this to be true. Gen z, Gen Alpha. They use their mobile device more than they use any other device combined.
00:01:45:08 - 00:02:03:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Furthermore, 69% of students own a smartphone, but I get this the age of 12. We do have data for them, and then also 90%, according to Pew Research, use YouTube. 90% of teenagers say that they use YouTube. And I get it, man. Like if you're a youth
00:02:03:06 - 00:02:08:16
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
pastor, you're like, phones are a distraction. Gotta get rid of, use paper Bibles.
00:02:08:19 - 00:02:36:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You know, digital Bibles don't count all the things like I've heard it. I've been there. I've been a part of youth ministry for a long time. But there's a verse in Jeremiah chapter 29, no, not 2911, but right before that verse, Jeremiah is having a conversation with God. And here's what God says to Jeremiah. He says you should build homes, plan to stay, plant gardens, eat the foods that they produce, marry and have children, and find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren.
00:02:36:18 - 00:02:41:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Multiply. Do not dwindle away. But you gotta understand the context here,
00:02:41:21 - 00:03:04:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
which we don't do for Jeremiah 2011 very often, is that the Israelites are stuck as captives in Babylon, and what God is telling Jeremiah to do is he's saying, stop complaining. Stop trying to find a way out. Stop trying to leave. Instead, invest in where you live and youth pastors, pastors, church communications people, discipleship pastors, college pastors.
00:03:04:23 - 00:03:22:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Digital ministry is not going anywhere. You may not like it. You may not even think it's the most effective. But the majority of millennials, Gen Z and we can assume Generation Alpha, say that a digital version of church is valuable to them and one that they would lean into, and it doesn't
00:03:22:01 - 00:03:24:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
mean that their in-person attendance is going to go away.
00:03:24:22 - 00:03:43:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
That's a lot of the fears of us in church leadership is that if we offer a digital component, they're just going to choose that instead of, coming to church in person. But far from it. We're also seeing in this generation, more than even older generations, that community is so much more important to them. So they don't want to forsake the in-person moments.
00:03:43:07 - 00:04:06:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so when we take the in-person moments and the best that it has to offer, when we take the digital things and the best it has to offer, and we find that sweet spot right in the middle, we find what I call hybrid ministry. A great example of it is honestly, Home Depot. And think about it like you throw on your new balances and you throw on your cargo shorts on on a Saturday morning, you got a project and then you're going Home Depot.
00:04:07:01 - 00:04:29:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And but you don't really have like an agenda, right? You're just walking around. You're just kind of like you're taking in the smell of lumber and you're just you're just kind of exploring what the hallways and the aisles of Home Depot have to offer other times, and then, like, you don't have time, right? You go online, you make an order so that it's delivered to your doorstep because you don't have time to just live out your full dad mode experience.
00:04:29:15 - 00:04:37:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But my favorite, honestly version to experience Home Depot is while I'm in the store on their app because their app. If you haven't seen it yet, their app shows you
00:04:37:05 - 00:05:01:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
where every single thing in their entire store is located. And so that's what I think we should be doing as youth pastors. Finding a way to intersect where teenagers already admitted they're spending their time, not forsaking the good elements of gathering together and community and accountability and all those things, but also leaning into this hybrid sort of moment.
00:05:01:08 - 00:05:19:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so, well, I want to do is I want to give you one of the easiest ways to kind of to kind of step foot into this hybrid space. And it's by up taking your social media engagement. Now, here's the thing. A lot of youth pastors, and if you've been following me along on this channel for a while, posts
00:05:19:28 - 00:05:24:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
announcements on their feed, just assuming that social media is another announcement platform.
00:05:24:27 - 00:05:45:07
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But the reality is that that's not what social media is best made for. It doesn't mean that we can't still get the word out about what we have going on, but what it does mean, and what we should be doing is that we should be intersecting and invading the lives of students on the places that they spend their time, including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
00:05:45:07 - 00:05:51:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Remember, 90% teenagers say that they use YouTube in the ways that they're consuming it reels TikTok videos and
00:05:51:27 - 00:06:05:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
YouTube shorts. And so the good news is that you can create the same type of content short form, vertical based video that goes on TikTok, that goes on Instagram, that goes on YouTube, and maybe even Facebook if you choose to post it there as well.
00:06:05:17 - 00:06:25:26
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But you don't have to create multiple different types of content like I did when I first started in youth ministry 15 years ago. Instead, you post that, you know, 180 or 1080 by 1920, vertical based video. And then you post it in all the places that you want to post it. Don't have a TikTok account, no
00:06:25:26 - 00:06:27:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
video post on Instagram and YouTube.
00:06:27:22 - 00:06:48:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Don't have a YouTube account? No big deal. Post on TikTok and Instagram. Don't have an Instagram account? No problem. Post on TikTok and YouTube. Don't have any of them? Start a YouTube account and start posting YouTube shorts because 90% of teenagers self-identify that they're on it. So what should you post? I'm glad that you asked. Let's dive!
00:06:48:25 - 00:07:10:21
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So I'm so excited to roll this out because I can't lie, I have been looking for a thing to provide for youth pastors on a social media platform. Landscape that is custom. That's not just a bunch of pretty graphics, but also doesn't add more work to your plate. And I can't lie, I've been wrestling with what kind of service can I offer?
00:07:10:21 - 00:07:37:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I think I have something, at least messaging wise, for youth pastors, but once they get into it becomes a lot of work and it gets a little bit overwhelming. So if you're watching here on screen, you'll see my screen. And this is what I'm offering. So I'm offering this brand new program called Seasonal Social Media, which essentially is 40 posts, three months worth.
00:07:37:02 - 00:07:58:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
If you follow my recommended posting strategy, I recommend that youth pastors post three times per week and this will satisfy that reality. And so what you get is three months of custom, youth, ministry, social media content and it all costs less than $20. And here's the good news. Just like this ad copy here says it's not just content.
00:07:58:06 - 00:08:19:08
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
It really is a full social media strategy included in the download. If you choose to go ahead and do this, is you get my complete Hybrid Strategy guide, which will detail and outline a lot of what I have just been saying on this video and I've been saying in other podcasts for years and years and years. And so this will lay the foundation and the philosophy.
00:08:19:15 - 00:08:46:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then this is what you're actually going to get. You're going to, take this, this social media, package. And it's got two different categories, and it's got completely done for you content that you literally download and you post and you plug and you play, set it and forget it. The other 50% is custom content. So you're going to be filming this, but the good news is you don't need to film every single thing yourself.
00:08:46:17 - 00:09:04:28
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You don't need to edit everything yourself. And if you don't have any of those skills, I'll walk you through how to do all of that on this podcast, as well as in this little document here. If you go ahead and download this thing where you can import some of what I have to offer, that's custom, but I have templates and I have layovers and I have scripts and I have things that you can do
00:09:04:28 - 00:09:15:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
and things that you should say, and all of those things that you can edit in an in-app editor, like a TikTok or an Instagram Reels, or even over on something like Cap Cut.
00:09:15:17 - 00:09:32:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so you got, like I said, you got done for you. You got things that are still left for you to shoot, but I provide all the assets that you're going to need for it. Here are things that you can buy all you really, honestly need is your camera phone. You can upgrade some microphones, which I do recommend upgrading some microphones.
00:09:32:03 - 00:09:50:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
You can check out some of those links there. And optionally if you want to buy a better camera, if you have a little bit of budget, here's what I recommend. Here is also your posting schedule. Okay, so the week of June 2nd post this video, then post this video, then post this video the week of June 9th.
00:09:50:20 - 00:10:09:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This video, this video, this video all the way on through. Don't like my schedule? No big deal. Make your own. All right. Here you go. But what's going to happen? Let me show you first when you open these up. Here's what the done for you package looks like in, you open it up and there are four different types of videos.
00:10:09:15 - 00:10:25:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so, there are Bible verse videos and there are five different Bible verse videos. And so what you can do is you'll see right here, you just very simply posted Bible verse, add a caption and you're good to go. This one right here is one of my all time favorites a sell it over and download youth ministry as well.
00:10:25:18 - 00:10:47:09
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But it is emoji phraseology and I combine these two together because I used to make these for stories, but now I'm trying to make them for reals. So see if you can comment what this summer edition emoji phraseology is intending to say. The correct answer of courses. Sunburn. You continue on down. I have five of those. And here I have five different spiritual practice videos.
00:10:47:09 - 00:11:08:18
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So for example, a student scrolling and they stop across one of your reels or TikToks or YouTubes that you post and you encourage them to actually lean in to some spiritual practices that they can actually, they can actually, while they're on social media, connect with God in a real and meaningful way. And so this one is a 32nd take time to pray.
00:11:08:23 - 00:11:32:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And this timer counts down that. And then lastly this is the only non video post. These are like carousel based posts like that you can post on Instagram. But the good news once again you can also post photo slides on TikTok. And you can also post that on your YouTube, post feed as well on your on your community use, because the community tab now is just called the Post Feed.
00:11:32:12 - 00:11:52:12
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so I created these. What do you do if you feel anxious. And it's got Bible verses, along with the header of an instruction of what you can do. And I got it for five different categories about anxiety, loneliness, giving up temptation or anger. So those are the done for you. Those are turnkey okay. Here's the custom for you.
00:11:52:12 - 00:12:18:10
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
All right. So in every single one of these there's an instruction. And then the instruction video tells you exactly what to do along with gives you an example along with in most cases gives you some sort of script. So in this case this is Bible trivia. You hop on your cell phone, you shoot a selfie style video under 60s, and you simply ask these questions and all you gotta do is print this out, or pull this up on your computer screen and read it directly to the camera.
00:12:18:13 - 00:12:23:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And then when you're done, you can go ahead and you can, post a video and you can
00:12:23:06 - 00:12:37:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
overlay it with one of these overlays. In fact, right here on screen, if you're watching on YouTube, is an example of me editing a video that I did for our ministry in our context, using this exact same overlay, using the TikTok, video editor.
00:12:38:05 - 00:13:00:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
When I was done and I posted it, TikTok now auto saved my video without a watermark, and so then I could go to Instagram and post that same video. And then I could also go over to YouTube shorts and post that exact same video. If you don't have TikTok, you can also use it in the Instagram Reels editor by using the little sticker, button and then put this in, drag it to full screen.
00:13:00:14 - 00:13:21:05
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And the only thing you're probably gonna have to do at the end, because Instagram doesn't auto save your reels that you post, go on to Google Chrome, search it, download Instagram reel without watermark, save that, video, and then go post it wherever else you choose to post it. Perhaps TikTok or perhaps YouTube. Let me just recommend, if you do have TikTok, just start there.
00:13:21:05 - 00:13:26:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And it's a lot easier than some of these other platforms to start with. So that's Bible trivia. This
00:13:26:13 - 00:13:44:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
one right here is either your devotional or your recap content. So let me let me speak to what your options are here. You preach a sermon every week, so get on your cellphone again. Self-styled video lesson 60s. And just riff on one of the points of your last sermon.
00:13:44:17 - 00:14:00:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
So, for example, you talked about God is Love. Pull up in your camera and say, you know what? Sometimes it's hard to love people and go on and talk for 60s I know you can do it. All right. Here are three best practices with that. Number one, always add a caption. Number two
00:14:00:27 - 00:14:03:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
add some sort of title on screen.
00:14:03:13 - 00:14:04:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
All right. And then number three
00:14:04:17 - 00:14:09:06
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
add music. And then a bonus. Best practice a hack is do
00:14:09:06 - 00:14:18:15
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
not listen to me. Do not reference your in-person gathering. Not that you shouldn't. And other people shouldn't have to know about it. But
00:14:18:15 - 00:14:25:11
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
don't say something like, you know, last Wednesday we talked about such, such and such. Leave that be on social media.
00:14:25:11 - 00:14:49:27
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
People are stumbling upon your content organically. They have no frame of reference for what you're talking about. So you can both serve your current students because they're going to remember what you just talked about, along with any potential new viewers. The other thing you do is if you're only given 60s, which is what I recommend to keep under, is that if you say under 60s saying, you know, last Wednesday night, it was great.
00:14:49:27 - 00:15:13:17
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
We had a lot of good time. Remember that dessert auction we had? Don't forget those of you that were there. And maybe if you weren't, that we talked about love, you just wasted, like, five, eight, seven seconds of your precious 62nd real estate. Now, you don't have to just recap your videos. You can do like if you click on this little example here, this is a a clip from a long form message that that I do, which is what I recommend doing.
00:15:13:20 - 00:15:26:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
If you see my hybrid strategy guys also included in here, I recommend long form versions of videos posted on YouTube. But for right now, if you're just downloading this pack and you're just focusing on social media, do some
00:15:26:01 - 00:15:37:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
sort of devotional recap. If you don't have a video of your sermon, if you do, go ahead and, throw it into a service like Opus Stock Pro, which is what we use, to clip our long form down into short form.
00:15:38:03 - 00:15:59:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But again, if not just use a Devo style, video or, if you don't have like a recap or something to say, you can use some of these, scripts that I've created that you can, just follow verbatim, follow some of the instructions, and you can post those and you'll be good to go. These right here are called man on the street style interviews.
00:15:59:25 - 00:16:32:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
These are one of the lowest hanging fruit ways to, interact with your students. You basically go around, you just interview them. And this is where you get any, like, a microphone, to buy, you can get a super cheap USB Bluetooth microphone that plugs directly into your phone, but you go around, you interview students. And what I always recommend doing is interviewing 5 to 8 students, ask them these same five questions, and then you can splice that up again in something like the TikTok editor or in something like Cap Cut and I've also created this transparent overlays that you can use that you can import in.
00:16:32:29 - 00:16:50:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so the question would you rather sing instead of speak, or would you have to dance everywhere? Would you rather hop like a frog or moo whenever you get nervous? These are completely included. You can put those over. You can look like a pro. Add captions from the in-app editor that does it for you completely. For free, and you're off to the races.
00:16:50:29 - 00:17:09:04
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And the last one. Here are some of my favorite style videos. These transition invite style videos. This is the best way to invite people to what's going on at your church. And so what I've done is I've created these videos here that are the beginning of a hook. And so you see right here, this guy is skateboarding. Immediately he falls on this railing right here.
00:17:09:11 - 00:17:28:20
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And what you would do as you would cut to a student on a railing somewhere else, sitting just like that, acting like he's a guy falling off the skateboard. And then he says, hey man, come to youth Wednesday night. We'd love to see you. And I gave you five of these that you can do, right? Including right here in the instruction video, an example with inspiration.
00:17:28:22 - 00:17:52:19
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I think it's inspiration from this, this bike video right here. Now, that's for three posts, you know, per week. What if you got bandwidth for more? Well, right here is your, bonus content. 100 different ideas here. 100 social challenge ideas. This is what we do in our ministry. We post two times a day, five days a week.
00:17:52:19 - 00:18:15:13
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And so the way that we accomplish that is by this is from this playlist right here, linked right here in this document. And then here all of the bonus ideas and ways that you can not only see examples, but also bonus content to be able to see, you know what what our students are up to, and different like different categories that you can use for these different challenge style videos.
00:18:15:19 - 00:18:24:29
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
This is the summer social media pack. All right. This will last you for three months. And so you download it now
00:18:24:29 - 00:18:39:22
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
you got 50% film your own content. And again you can you can do selfie style videos in your office for these first two right here. And then you can hand these off to a volunteer on any given Wednesday or any given Sunday night.
00:18:39:22 - 00:19:12:01
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
But I just want to encourage you that it is time to stop ignoring digital and social media. It is the way of the future is where our students are again, not as Hebrews 1024 and 25 says, not forsaking and neglecting, meeting together, but we're using the medium of the day. Just like the Apostle Paul wrote and sent letters, we're using the medium of the day that we have an advantage on of many other people in church history, because they wouldn't have had this kind of access into the lives of the people that they're trying to minister to.
00:19:12:04 - 00:19:31:25
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
That's why I think hybrid ministry is so important, and that's why I think that this product is so valuable. So check it out down below, link in the description. And let me just say, I also post and host a weekly bonus podcast where I talk about everything I'm doing in hybrid ministry, everything I'm doing on social media, and everything I'm doing in my programing.
00:19:32:02 - 00:19:53:23
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
And I'm only doing it for $4 per month. If you become a Patreon, a hybrid here for $4 a month, you will get this social media pack which is valued at greater than what, three months worth it? Becoming a Patreon will be. You will get it completely for free or at least completely included in your membership. $4 a month.
00:19:53:23 - 00:20:15:02
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
Charge it to your church budget. Call it a developing expense because it's what it is. It's a professional expense for you to become more creative, more hybrid, in your programing and on your social media. And it'll also unlock this seasonal summer, social media pack, which we're going to start releasing for every single season. And this right here is the summer version.
00:20:15:04 - 00:20:28:14
Nick Clason | Hybrid Ministry
I hope you guys found this episode helpful. Share it with a friend. Let somebody know that the summer season the social media pack is finally here. But until next time. And as always, my friends, don't forget to stay hybrid.
21 min

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Hybrid Ministry is complicated and hard. Or is it? How do pastors and youth pastors create a vibrant extension, not replacement, of what's already happening during their weekly church services? To…

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