The Sidekick Podcast

We have a great story to tell…are we telling it in the most effective ways? In fact, are we share about Christ and the hope of Jesus in our lives to others at all? The great news is that you can use Social Media to communicate the love and hope of Christ to others.

That is why Justin Dean joins the podcast today. Justin is the Co-Founder of That Church Conference, author of PR Matters, runs SundayU and the Sunday to Sunday Facebook Group. If you see a conversation about Communications, in particular Church Communications, chances are that you will likely see Justin apart of the discussion as he has a heart for using communication tools to reach people for Christ.

Today Justin joins the podcast to talk about how we, as ministers, can use social media and other communication tools to reach people with the greatest story and how we can engage them more online. There are tons of different ways you can get involved and share…including YouTube. See what strikes you and how you can get involved more in social media to reach more people for Christ.

ACTION STEPS:

* What stood out to you from this conversation? How are you using social media to share about Christ?  Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* If you want to connect with Justin you can find him on Twitter, connect with him on any of the above links. You can also learn more about YouTube

* Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Camp trips are great ways to build momentum for your ministry. Sure, they are a lot of work, but if done right they can help springboard your ministry into a whole new stratosphere.

That is why Cory Sullivan is back on the podcast. He just recently returned from a camp trip. Today we discuss how he is using that trip to build momentum for his ministry in this next season. There are some great applications in here for your ministry as well.

ACTION STEPS:

* What do you think? How have you built momentum from a camp trip? Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* As always, Cory is a great resource and you can find him blogging here.  You can also follow him on Twitter here. He’s a great resource so hit him up and pick his brain.

* If you want Cory’s Fall Checklist Resource that we talked about in the podcast you can download it here for FREE.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Being in ministry has many rewarding benefits. You get to see real change happen in the lives of people and families. However, because you are on the go all the time, you can develop some unhealthy habits. That means eating a lot of food and oftentimes unhealthy food (student ministers in particular). And, it also means that ministers can fail to take care of their own fitness and sleeping habits. It’s go, go, go all the time, which isn’t good long for a minister’s long term health.

That is why I invited Greg Oraham to the podcast. Greg is the Lead Pastor at Foothills Community Church. He is also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, helping other Pastors be spiritually and physically fit through Pastor Fit.

Today we talk about Greg’s story and why he decided to get fit as a Pastor. We also talk about what Pastors can do to get and stay fit.

ACTION STEPS:

* What do you think? How do you stay healthy and fit as a minister? Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* If you want to connect with Josh, you can check his website and Pastor Fit Twitter account.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

GIFs are all over the place and they are a lot of fun! Whether you are posting about something, responding to someone else post or tweet or simply trying to get engagement for your Church or ministry, you can always find a GIF being posted.

But what about Wrestling GIFs? Do they have a place in social media? You bet! In fact, The Wrestling Pastor, Josh Reavis, has been using wrestling GIFs to inspire, encourage and simply make Pastors and ministers laugh for some time. Get to know Josh, what he is passionate about in his ministry, why he does the Wrestling Pastor and how he is using GIFs to inspire and encourage ministers in this podcast.

ACTION STEPS:

* What do you think? How do you use GIFs? Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* If you want to connect with Josh, you can check his Personal Twitter account and the Wrestling Pastor Twitter account. You can also buy t-shirts and merchandize here.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Being in ministry is not an easy life. There are long days, odd hours and exhausting planning. And that isn’t even when you encounter crazy ministry seasons. At those times, it can be mentally and physically exhausting.

During those ministry seasons how do you take care of yourself? What can you do to take care of yourself? These are important questions to ask because if you don’t take care of yourself you can burn out and potentially lose yourself and your family because of it. That is why I asked Charlie Conder on to the podcast. Charlie works for Orange and is an Orange Specialist for Students but is also a certified Executive and Ministry Coach which is awesome! Today, she and I talk about how you can be taking care of yourself in the midst of crazy ministry season.

ACTION STEPS:

* What do you think? How do you take care of yourself in the midst of crazy ministry season? Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* If you want to connect with Charlie, you can a few different ways.  She’s has a website where you connect with her about Ministry Coaching. Although she doesn’t blog enough

When a Churches and ministries decide to use online tools to reach more people, often the conversation leads to reaching a specific type of person. Those people are millennials and the younger generations. But what about the older generations? Can we use online tools to reach them as well? You be we can!

Today Jeanette Yates joins me today to talk about how to use online tools to reach the older generation for Christ and community. In particular we talk about what it looks like to reach people with disabilities with technology for Christ. There are not only lots of opportunities for you to do that AMD ways for them to serve and help your Church via online. It’s a great discussion and just the beginning of what can be for reaching the older generation and those with disabilities who are home bound.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! How are you using digital tools to minister to the Older Generation and those who are home bound and disabled? Share below or on Twitter using #ymsidekick when you post.

* If you want to connect with Jeanette you can listen to her podcast here or you can find her on Twitter. She is very active on social media, especially on Twitter so get in touch with her.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

What is the right amount of social media posting you should be making for your Church or ministry? Can you share too much? Can you share too little? What is the balance and what are the tools you can use to share all that you want to share and need to share?

I invited Adam McLaughlin to join the podcast and talk about what that right balance is. Adam is a Church Communicator who worked in a Church for a number of years but is now back to working with Churches all over helping them improve the communication to their community.

In the podcast, Adam mentions Tweriod and Recur Post as a help for your posting. Check them out to find out more.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! What is the right balance for social media posting for your ministry? Shat what you do.

* If you want to connect with Adam you can read his blog here and gets some great FREE ebooks here. You can also find him on Twitter. He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Years ago there was lots of chatter about online ministry. Is it effective? Is it “real” ministry? Can it look like and act like a traditional Church? Those are all good questions but, as Churches dig deep into online ministry the reality is online ministry is here to stay. It is effective. It is real and it is Church.

The question is, what exactly does online ministry look like at your Church. Is it just utilizing digital communications to reach people or is it fully using digital tools to reach as many people as possible with the mindset of mission work?

That is why Jeff Reed is joining me today. Jeff is a former Online Pastor who now leads up The Church Digital. The Church Digital gives you great support and help in using technology better so you can reach more people for Christ. So today, Jeff and I talk about the difference between digital communications

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! How are you using online ministry? Share below or on Twitter using #ymsidekick when you post.

* If you want to connect with Jeff you can read his blog here or you can find him on Twitter. He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

* The Twitter Advantage – Some churches are giving up on Twitter and that’s a mistake. This platform has unique advantages over other social platforms and can be leveraged to bring people from your community through your church’s front door. Discover how Twitter can be one of the most effective tools in your communications tool box.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Summer is a wonderful time of year filled with great opportunities for you personally and your ministry. But as great as it is, it is short and before you know it, the fall will be here before you know it. I know, I know, it is a buzz-kill to be thinking of the fall now but if you don’t you could find yourself seriously behind once August rolls around.

That is why I invited Stan Ronda back on the podcast. Stan shares with us 4 key ways he is preparing for the fall this summer.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! How are you preparing for the fall this summer? Share below or on Twitter using #ymsidekick when you post.

* If you want to connect with Stan you can read his blog and listen to his podcast here or you can find him on Twitter. He also writes blog posts for Ministry Pass. He is very active on social media so definitely hit him up if you have a question.

* The Twitter Advantage – Some churches are giving up on Twitter and that’s a mistake. This platform has unique advantages over other social platforms and can be leveraged to bring people from your community through your church’s front door. Discover how Twitter can be one of the most effective tools in your communications tool box.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Student Worship has always been an enigma to me. I want it to be apart of our ministry experience, but it is something I have not been able to figure out. But recent developments have caused me to bring in Tyler Rees to talk all about Student Worship experiences.

Tyler Rees works for Orange and is the Managing Editor for XP3 Middle School Curriculum. He also is the editor of the Worship Leader Guide. Tyler also has a background in worship as a Volunteer and has served in both student and adult worship programs.

Today we are talking about Worship. We talk about…

* The differences between student and adult worship

* The language you use and don’t use during worship

* How to introduce worship into your student services especially when you don’t have it currently

* The pros and cons of student ministry “worship only” nights or services

ACTION STEPS:

* What do you think? How do you create an effective environment for Student Worship? Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* If you want to connect with Tyler, you can a few different ways.  He’s on Instagram, has an awesome blog with tons of great insights each week.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.