MinistryCOM 2010 Breakout Session

Presenter:

Lawrence Swicegood
President
Clarion Call Marketing & Communications
Irving, TX

Session Description:

Pastors recognize that nothing is more frustrating than having a great church, compelling worship services and innovative ministry programs but it remains the best kept secret in the community. Many churches spend hours of time and vast resources developing great sermon series and compelling outreach programs, yet comparatively, little time, effort and money are spent effectively marketing to new audiences you are trying to reach.

In this session we will explore ideas that create “Buzz”. When people hear about your church or attend your services do they think, “there is something real and exciting going on here – I want to be part of this.”  – then they tell their friends. That’s buzz !

About the Presenter:

Lawrence Swicegood is a senior communications specialist with over 20 years experience in marketing, communications, public relations, strategic planning, branding, crisis management, media relations, advertising and event management.

As president of Clarion Call Marketing & Communications, Lawrence provides innovative marketing ideas, and creative tools that assist churches in effectively reaching their communities. He was formerly Director of Communications & Media for Fellowship Church, Dallas, TX.

MinistryCOM 2009 Breakout Session:

Presenter:

Tim Ellens, Strategic Creative Guy
CHANGEffect
Chicago, IL

Session Description:

God has uniquely positioned your Church in the context of culture. But how will you cut through the noise and effectively reach your community? It’s not about a nifty logo. Not about a cool website. It’s not simply about using “compelling” language. And no, not even about an awesome worship space. It’s about knowing your story: who you are, what you’re saying, how you’re saying it, how you behave and engineering staff and volunteer alignment. What can your church promise day-in and day-out that 10,000 other churches cannot? Why does your congregation drive past dozens of other churches to attend your church? During this interactive session we’ll discuss what it means to discover, express and live your church’s one-of-a-kind story. You’ll learn the principles of aligning your staff with your unique story, how to mobilize attendees, and attract visitors.

About the Presenter:

Tim Ellens, Strategic Creative Guy | a.ka., President
Tim is a brand strategist passionate about helping clients “live” their unique story. Viewing everyone in an organization as a storyteller he facilitates and develops strategies that get the story out of the board room and into the back room. As a student of branding, he understands that people relate to brands in ways that shape their identity and connect with the values of an organization. Additionally, Tim is motivated by helping leaders of organizations gain clarity of vision through “aha” moments and pulling simplicity out of complexity. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies and those who view $500 as a fortune but has a heart for those who are making this world a better place.

MinistryCOM 2009 Breakout Session

Presenter:

Terrell Sanders
Executive Director
MinistryCOM.org
Edmond, OK

Session Description:

Do you have more logos than ministries at your church? Do some ministries complain that other groups  receive more support from communications than they do? Do you struggle with balancing announcements across print, web, live, and even more brochures? Do you need some basic principles and strategies to fall back on when making communications decisions?

Sometimes it’s hard to get everyone on the same page when they come from such diverse backgrounds. Often church communications is hampered by lack of common goals and divergent basic assumptions.

In this session Terrell will present seven core communications principles he has collected from extremely effective churches around the world. When approved by your leadership, these principles give your a strategy for effective communications, and a defense from trying to be all things to all people.

About the Presenter:

Terrell Sanders is the Executive Director of MinistryCOM, and founder of MainStreetOpen, a web development firm. Between his web company and MinistryCOM, he has trained and consoled church communications staff for almost 10 years.

Terrell’s background is computer technology, both from the software and hardware sides. He has extensive experience in business process automation and software development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics and a number of obsolete technical certifications.

He has worked with a number of churches and non-profits on communications projects both a volunteer and a paid consultant. Terrell lives in Edmond, OK and attends Henderson Hills Baptist Church (where the communications team does a fine job without his help).

Branding 101 : Reintroducing Your Church to the Community

This material is from a breakout session presented at MinistryCOM 2007.

Session Outline:
Even though God is doing some amazing things through your church, does it sometimes feel like it’s the best kept secret? Perhaps you’ve inherited a brand that isn’t an accurate reflection of your church’s DNA, vision for the future or there are just a lot of misperceptions in the community.

In this fast-paced, interactive session we’ll discover how to be intentional about developing your church’s brand by answering questions such as:

Exactly what is branding & can it really help churches?

Is it okay for ministries to have their own brand? If so, how do I avoid feeling like a bunch of mini churches?

Where do I start & how do I roll out our new brand?

About the presenter: Dawn Nicole Baldwin
Dawn Nicole Baldwin is the Founder & CEO of AspireOne, a strategic branding firm with a passion for helping churches reach people more effectively. During her tenure on staff at Willow Creek Community Church leading Visual Communications as well as the advertising team of Big Idea Productions (Creators of VeggieTales) she’s had the opportunity to build and witness the power of a strong branding in ministry.

For over 10 years she’s consulted with the leadership of some of today’s most innovative churches (Granger, Seacoast, Perimeter and Willow Creek name just a few) and has spoke at conferences across the country.

Branding 101

Includes audio (MP3), workshop slides (PDF)
Electronic download only (17Meg)