evan mcbroom THE OTHER SIDE of the boat

Basics of Church Communication - Webcast preview

 Thursday, August 19 (Noon - 1pm CDT) I'll be leading a MinistryCOM webcast: Basics of Church Communication.  

The webcast is aimed at those who are "new to church communications and overwhelmed by the job."  To give a heads up, I'll be covering

• Basic Challenges (why is the job so challenging? hint=it has to do with people)
• Responsibilities (and my thoughts on the specific skills, gifts & talents needed)
• Resources (we'll look at some of the basic ones and I have a new assessment tool to help you map out plans for improvement for yourself and your team...if you have one)

Hope you'll join in. Hope it is a help.

North American Conference on Christian Philanthropy

I had a great time presenting today at the NACCP in Indy today.  It's seems more challenging to present at a conference in my own hometown.  Seems like it would be easier, but I don't normally start my day in a hotel stepping in cat puke like I did today.  Anyway.  A great group of people and really strong discussion.  Here, as promised are slides.  Download Communicating the Next Big Thing NACCP Blog

Creating Buy in For Next Big Thing

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of about 40 pastors and other church leaders at the Cornerstone Conference (Twitter #ckn09) in Charlotte. (that's not me in the picture, it's Matt Evansof Rockbridge Community Church in Dalton GA)  I spoke on the topic of casting vision.  I promised folks that I would post my slides here.  Here they are. (I pulled a few of the photos out, but it's still a 8MB file)

Download Communicating Next Big Thing - CKN Charlotte - blog version

And here is the link to an article published in Church Solutions Magazine that tells some of the same story.

If you attended, I'd love your feedback on the session.  What resonated.  What repelled?

Church finance talk...bring in the experts

Here are just a few of the topics I'm unqualified to advise on:

• How to raise quiet children
• Pre-Colombian art
• Physics, Algebra, Engineering
• Office organizing
• Car repair
• Photoshop
• Church finances

The good news is, most of the church leaders we serve could care less about many of the things on that list, but church finances...now that's another thing. (and it's a critical thing)  So, when I learned that our pals at Aspen Group were hosting a pastors lunch titled "Straight Talk about Church Finances." I wanted to help make it happen.  I'm thrilled that Fishhook is joining the NACBA and Aspen Group as sponsors.

Church leaders - you're invited - you can check out the official invitation. 

Download Aspen Group Pastors Lunch

And while I don't know two cents about church finances, the speakers at this event are worth their weight in gold.  Here's who they are and here's what I like about 'em:

Allen Walworth- President & Principal of Generis

• I’ve met him up close, have visited with him at his home and he is the real deal. Big heart for seeing people experience God's love through a generous heart.
• I’ve seen him speak at a recent Cornerstone Conference where he personally challenged and inspired me.
• I’ve seen the evaluation from the audience at that conference and from their comments he challenged and inspired many.

Jon Huskins, MBA, CPA, President and CEO of Crosspoint Capital

• I’ve met with Jon as a brother in Christ – just to get to know each other and see how possible collaborations might come together.  He has a humble heart and a seemingly incredible brain for church finance stuff.

• I’ve worked with Jon in my capacity as a Fishhook creative guy and his role as an elder at his church and through this, I’ve heard his heart for people who aren’t in relationship with Jesus.

• He’s known Fishhook’s Janie Mehaffey for years…and when I asked Janie for her thoughts about Jon, she said, "He's one of the smartest people I know. Jon could easily brag about what he knows and what he has accomplished, but he is such a humble and godly man that his focus is constantly on what he can learn from others and how he can invest his big brains into making a Kingdom impact."

The event is October 15.  Greenwood, Indiana.  Aspen Group's Lynn Noe is the go-to for questions and RSVP.  Hope you can join me as we learn together.

Here's the invitation with lots more detail: Download Aspen Group Pastors Lunch

Vision Slides - here for you

I had an awesome time in Chicagoland today presenting to church leaders.  My topic "Casting and Communicating Vision - Creating Buy-in for the Next Big Thing."  Here are my slides for your enjoyment and reference:

Download Beyond_bricks_casting_vision_030408

Why I'm not at MinistryCOM

There are two late summer events I never miss:  MinistryCOM and CEDIA Expo. MinistryCOM is the conference event for church communicators and it is key to the work we do at Fishhook. CEDIA Expo is the tradeshow event for home automation and it is a long time client of my former employer and I play a role in making it happen as a host on the convention TV channel. (here I am interviewing CEDIA's head of PR and Marketing)

I never miss either conference...except this year. They fall on the same days.  This year, my work at Expo is funding Fishhook's team traveling to and being a part of MinistryCOM. Attending and supporting MinistryCOM is a big expense in time, travel and preparation. I thank God that my work here pays for our work there. But team and MinistryCOM pals, I miss you.  

Exponential thoughts...

Exponential from Evan McBroom on Vimeo.

On Patrol at Exponential

I checked in with Pat from Cogun at Exponential to see how the conversations are going with church planters...and to see what they're giving away.

Untitled from Evan McBroom on Vimeo.

Championing the conference experience

How's your outlook this year for attending conferences?  If you're like some church leaders I've talked to, you're trimming budgets - and conferences aren't making the cut.  I can't speak for you, and I don't know your exact world, but for me, attending conferences are at the top "stuff to easily cut" list. 

This week I'm attending and speaking at the Church Solutions Conference. It's my first year at the conference and from what I'm hearing, attendance is down a bit from last year, but the quality of the presenters is up (I don't speak until tomorrow morning, so the jury is still out on me).

While I'm thrilled to speak (and it's at my own expense, traveling, time away from office, etc.) I'm more excited about learning - so it's worth it to me on several fronts. And from my conversations with others, it's worth it for them too. 

Working under the assumption that these are tough times financially, and that this puts added pressure on the church staff...then let me suggest why conferences should stay in your budget, because it's at times like these we need to be on our game to make the most impact:

• my mind is being stretched - I'm learning new ways to approach ministry
• my soul is being refreshed - I've shaken up my routine, I'm spending some time alone with God and some time together with friends, outside the distraction of my regular surroundings
• my work is going to be better - I have been log-jammed on a couple things lately, and this time here has provided fresh inspiration and fresh ideas
• my team will see a difference - I'm returning recharged and ready to lead

I don't know what your list would look like, but I'd love to hear from you.  Why do you place a priority on conferences?  Or not? Would love to hear.

PS: I'm taking part in the upcoming CKN conferences, you can find the links on the right. The Indy conference is March 3. 

Conference Article - casting and communicating vision

Today I had the opportunity to speak at the Cornerstone Conference in Dalton, Georgia.  While I was tempted to buy a carpet remnant, I stayed on task.  Here is the article from Church Solutions Magazine that captures much of what I presented.