Did you know that there were more email addresses on file than social media account handles COMBINED? Email still drives much of the communication space and churches need to be able to master the medium.

If you said ”the subject line” was the key to more opened emails, you’re mostly right. But there are a lot of other factors that Email Marketing specialist from CMU (Church Marketing University) Julianne Alkire and I discuss in this episode.

Especially the art of making automated emails personal. How can you get your website and social media to work for you while you’re asleep? Or after hours? Or on your days off? And how do you make those automated responses feel personal for those who are interacting with you when it’s convenient for them?

All this and more in this episode of The Seminary of Hard Knocks!

Making Email Automations Personal w/Julianne Alkire - Season 1, Ep. 08

Church Communications & Digital Ministry in the new era of the Church

Hosted by Seth Muse and Meagan Ranson, The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast is a practical and fun show dedicated to helping church leaders and church communicators reach people more effectively with their message. New episodes drop weekly during season in the Spring and Fall. Sponsored by Church Comm Team.

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This episode is not only the final episode of this season of the podcast, but it’s a synthesis of everything this season has been about. Kyle Ranson at Crossroads Church is using just about every tool at his disposal to do online and digital ministry right.

In this episode, we learn how he uses social, blogs, podcasts, video, SEO, and more to reach people during the week and on weekends. And he’s not just inviting them to church, he’s reaching people with the Gospel online. 

Oh, and you have access to all the same things he’s using to do it too! Find out how he does it and what God is doing at Crossroads in this incredible conversation!

What Real Digital Ministry Can Look Like Right Now w/Kyle Ranson - Season 1, Ep.13 (bonus)

We’re wrapping this season up strong with Jennifer Benton from the BLK LYTE podcast. She is an Instagram influencer as well as a content creator for her church and she does it all remotely!

In this episode, we will see just how far online content can go when it is used as a means for discipleship and ministry. Can you impact someone’s spiritual life and walk with Jesus while you’re asleep?

All this and more in this week’s episode.

Creating Digital Content for Discipleship w/Jennifer Benton - Season 1, Ep.12

Before the pandemic, only 5% of the workforce worked from home. In May 2020 it shot up to a whopping 60% and it looks like there will be a lot of people refusing to go back to an office-only model ever again. If you are in a position where your job can be done remotely, then the pandemic has thrust you into a very interesting future.




Before we start calling these fortunate few “lazy,” you should know that a two-year study by Great Place to Work® of more than 800,000 employees at Fortune 500 companies found that most reported stable or even increased productivity levels after employees started working from home.




On this episode of the podcast, I talk with my Church Comm Team partner Paul Fleming. Paul has launched numerous successful businesses like Church Ink and Church Swag: all fully remote.




He has a ton of insight about how church leaders can utilize remote workers and contractors to fill in the gaps for skilled jobs you need asap! (or you could hire Church Comm Team, but that’s whatever). :)

How to lead & work with remote teams w/Paul Fleming - Season 1, Ep.11

In 2021, Ryan Wakefield and the Church Marketing University team did something bold. Instead of continuing to talk about what a hybrid worship service would look like, they decided to create one and see for themselves. 

Because everybody knows that when it comes to hybrid worship services and vegetables, your mom wants you to try it because you might like it.

What would it look like if both the digital space and the face-to-face worship were seen as equally important on Sunday mornings?

Imagine that no one can tell you ”no” and suddenly, you DO have the money and manpower to make it happen. What would you do? Get rid of that organ, that’s what. But then what?

Well, we did it and we learned a ton. In this episode, Ryan and Seth talk about what went well and not so well in our test of all these theories in real-time.

Lessons from a hybrid worship service w/Ryan Wakefield - Season 1, Ep.10

What would it take for your church to embrace the digital space just like you do the face-to-face as a legit ministry? How would you even do it? 

If you’re kicking those kinds of questions around, this episode with Jason Moore will help you process the practical side of running a hybrid ministry. He calls it ”Both/And” and his new book by the same title lays out the framework. 

We talk about Both/And (physical and digital) ministry, church communications, and more in this episode of The Seminary of Hard Knocks!

Making Email Automations Personal w/Julianne Alkire - Season 1, Ep. 08

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