Branding and Social Media Marketing for Faith Communities
Join Disciples Church Extension Fund (DCEF) Creative Writer/Digital Media Specialist and Leadership Academy workshop facilitator veteran Nadine A. Compton for a presentation that will teach you how to bravely navigate the big bad world of social media, while also showing how current communities of faith are serving their neighborhoods with a strong sense of identity. Learn which generation is using which platform, from Facebook to Instagram to TikTok, what it takes to establish a church brand, and why it’s actually not a bad idea to hop on viral trends.
Money and Ministry: A Step By Step Guide to Ensuring Financial Health
Whether congregations are in their early stages or have flourished for decades, there are always lessons to learn. In this workshop, Rev. Richard Williams, Senior Director of Services at DCEF, offers a guide to thriving financially in your ministry. Whether you are in the process of incorporation, or you are a seasoned entity seeking financial flourishing, this workshop has best practices for every stage of the life cycle.
Rev. Williams guides you through a financial workshop rooted in the practical. He posits that it is impossible to flourish financially without a sound, corporate understanding of money within the congregational body. Moreover, Rev. Williams prepares ministers and lay leaders to internalize the evolution of the Senior Minister into Chief Executive. Once these two concepts are brought to the forefront, then the necessary steps to cultivate a thriving financial ministry will arise.
Throughout the workshop, he offers practical concepts for ministry financial health, such as the traits of a thriving congregation, the strategy of partnering with a regional versus a national bank, using social media to build a ministry/donor base, and cultivating a sound fundraising, budgeting, and investment strategy.
New Church vs. 501(c)(3)
Leadership Academy’s newest addition is a workshop presented by Rev. Ashley Mayham, the National Benevolent Association‘s Social Entrepreneurship Coordinator, about the difference between a New Church and a Social Entrepreneurship. This workshop is great for folks looking to discern what God is calling them to do.
“In the Beginning:” Building and Leading Communities with Creation and Neighbors in Mind
How can you and your congregation build the Realm of God within and among and still find joy in the work of justice, climate, and ministry?
Green Chalice has been serving congregations for over a decade and has seen how creation care and faithful work for justice can create more vitality in churches, businesses, and homes.
This workshop, hosted by Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri, Co-Minister of Green Chalice, explores ways to weave creation care into newer congregations with your unique context and community in mind. It will include prayerful rituals, discernment practices, and some tangible ideas to help your community take the next steps on the creation care journey.
Cutting Costs without Cutting Corners: Starting a Church on a Dime and Using the Lean-Start Method
Find practical ideas and inspiration for how to start lean and develop a new church with minimal funding.
Lean Startup provides a scientific approach to creating and managing startups. In the pandemic-informed age, this is vital for the start of a new faith community. Join Rev. Dr. Jose Martinez, Minister of New Church Strategies, as he dives into the methodology and how you could use it for your ministry context.
Then, Rachel Nance Woehler will share the stewardship story of Potluck Church, a dinner church she launched in 2013, and offer ways to discover free or low-cost resources to support and spread your new ministry movement.
So if you’re interested in starting a new place of worship, but you’re low on funds, then this workshop is vital!
First Things First: 3 Financial Essentials for the New Church Planter
Offered by Aaron Smith, Pension Fund Client Relations for AL/NWFL, Georgia, and South Carolina, this workshop is designed to help the new church planter on the road to financial wellness.
Pension Fund offers several tools that the church planter will find helpful such as a new church pension, parental leave, and Your Money Line for example.
At the end of this session, the attendee will be equipped with practical next steps to prepare for their financial future.
The 4 P’s of LGBTQ+ Affirmation: Policy, Practice, Proclamation, and Publicity
Sometimes congregations have *some* pieces of inclusion in place, but when others are lacking, we can unintentionally harm or dismiss some of God’s beloved.
Presenting on behalf of Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance, Rev. Sara Nave Fisher talks about how to be sure the Four Ps of affirmation align so that we can spread the love of God both inside and outside our walls!