Summer 2017
The theme for Summer 2017 is “Connections.”
Brand-building in a world of algorithms, ad blockers and fake news
Four years ago, I became the national spokesperson for The Salvation Army. My journey with The Salvation Army began in 1978 when, as a student at Asbury College, I was a bell ringer in New York City during Christmas break. I fell in love with the mission those kettles represent: to meet human need, wherever it exists, in Christ's name, without discrimination.
That first contact has led to f...
How relational alignment guides our leadership
After 32 years of "wilderness" training, I found myself entering the world of "full-time ministry." Suddenly, I faced the challenge of applying in the church the leadership skills that I had often so brashly prescribed for it. Upon entering full-time ministry, I found that I had been transplanted into a new industry, a new culture and a new region.
In the wilderness of the business world, I had learned about t...
When innovation becomes your best choice
Digital innovation can be simple and inexpensive. You can start without knowing all of the answers. Ask a lot of questions. Try things and make adjustments. For our team, innovating became the strategy we needed to help us connect more effectively with our audience.
We manage a website and an e-newsletter for Cru staff women. Cru is a caring community of people who are passionate about connecting others to Christ.
How visual content can transform your ministry.
The media landscape is changing more rapidly than ever before. In a market saturated with content, it can be difficult not only to stand out, but also to make a lasting impact. Creating powerful, engaging media can help you reach your audience like you never could have before. It's time to create media that matters... media that elicits a response. Engage people in an emotional, gripping and compelling manner.
<...Communications priorities for today's leader
We're living in the most distracted age in history. You probably won't be surprised to know that studies reveal the average person is bombarded with about 5,000 media messages every day. The typical adult checks his or her mobile phone about 110 times a day, and even middle school kids check their phones up to 85 times each day!
Beyond our digital devices, we live in a world where the average home has a TV turne...
Digital relationships and kingdom momentum.
"I have made you known to them,and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in themand that I myself may be in them." (John 17:26)
The notion of being known by a friend or colleague has transformed over the past decade due to the explosion of digital media and online social platforms. Years ago, we would have interacted wi...
Your key performance indicators matter.
How do I do more and more in life? Many people are driven to accomplish larger numbers of activities each day. We want to track our number of steps (and let our friends know) while keeping our e-mail and text messages and calendars close by as we do more.
The Consumer Technology Association reports that the total wearables market, driven by the popularity of fitness trackers, is expected to reach 48 million unit sale...
It's the secret to high-impact PR.
Many people believe that public relations is a combination of writing press releases and putting out fires. While those components are vital, they are not the most important or the most impactful elements of PR. The most important element of public relations is the "relations" portion. As PR professionals, it is our responsibility to relate to our constituents in a real and transformative way. By effectively telling your organizati...
Trends You Can't Ignore
Working at an ad agency, I use the word fun often throughout the day. In relationships with our team, clients and with God who creates all things, we find joy in connecting, and a bit of fun with the work we do. Digital marketing adds to this fun by giving us a new set of tools to solve old problems.
The Challenge
How do you get new donors to notice the work your ministry is doing and become a par...
How well-dressed leaders measure success
Some leaders don a coat of business-mindedness. Others sport a cloak of faithful intentions. But it's much more than a matter of personal taste. Business leaders understand the value of measuring their activities in terms of return on investment (ROI). They have data to plug into a precise formula. For some, it's a matter of survival. For others, it's a matter of success.
Should ministries care abo...