Mark Clement

Outsourced Worship

This post is from the blog of Tim Stevens, Exec Pastor at Granger Community Church. I had the privilege of hanging out with him and Jeff Powell last week in Dallas. Was thinking about posting this same story but no reason to reinvent the wheel. Tim did a great job outlining the topic. Check it out:

I had a fascinating time last week with Jeff Powell, one of the leaders at First Hattiesburg Church in Mississippi. He told me a story that was very interesting...

A little over a year ago their church had an open position for a worship leader and couldn't find the right person to fill the role. So they began to hire worship leaders to come in, a weekend at a time, to lead their band and congregation in worship. It worked so well that they decided to continue doing this--not as a stop-gap measure--but as their intentional strategy. At this time, they have no plans of ever hiring a worship leader. They will continue to outsource.

In the first year they brought in 15 or 20 different leaders, but they have since settled to about 4 or 5 that they continue to bring in to lead their people.

Jeff says this strategy offers several advantages:

• Many worship leaders don't enjoy building teams, managing budgets or organizing departments. They just love to lead worship. This strategy let's them stay in their sweet spot.
• This decision saves money for the church. He is able to pay them really well for a weekend and still save enough money in the church budget to use toward another staff position.
• They love the variety that this brings to their church. Keeping things unpredictable is a plus, says Jeff, to keeping people's attention.
• They have learned so much from these worship leaders that they wouldn't have learned from one person.

It's a very interesting twist on staffing. I think churches are going to have to think creatively about staffing in the future--and this is a very creative method.

What do you think--good strategy or bad idea?

Sex Slaves in America

Over the last year there has FINALLY begun to be some consistent buzz/chatter about the booming sex slave industry. Not only the one overseas, but the one right here in America. As Tammy and I have learned more we have been overwhelmed with the sheer enormity of it. The fact is that Americans are the #1 consumers of the sex slave trade worldwide. Not only are Americans traveling to international locations solely for this purpose, but now they can get it right here at home. Did you know that Atlanta, GA was the number one sex slave destination in North America? Not New York, or Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Atlanta. I know, it's hard to believe.

To learn more about this unbelievable situation, check out this trailer for the upcoming movie, The Playground Project. I want to encourage you to spread the word about this film and more importantly about this issue. We need to start talking about it, giving to organizations that fight it, and doing what we can individually, as families and as churches to stop it.

Is Your Organization REMARKable?

Over the last few months we've been talking a lot about things like customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, great service...things that turn your customers/clients/members into fans, fans that talk about your thing and spread the word. People make REMARKS about something when it is REMARKable. Our world, our culture, and the way we communicate with that culture, is changing. No one addresses this better than Seth Godin. Check out this awesome vid about going from ignorable to REMARKable.

Would love to hear stories about how your organization became REMARKable. Let's hear it!

Conference Craziness: Good Thing Or Bad Thing?

Let me begin by stating that I LOVE conferences! I love the atmosphere, the networking, the learning and the chance to simply get away. I have been a part of creating and leading multiple events and love the entire process. I've experienced many break through and AHA moments at conferences. I LOVE it!

That said, is it just me, or does it seem like recently that there are more church/ministry conferences out there than any one human could possibly keep up with, let alone actually attend? I am constantly amazed at how many events are popping up, seemingly everyday. It's my job to stay 'in the know' about what's going on around the country and straight up, I can't keep up with them all. It seems like every week I'll hear about another event that somehow got past my radar. Just this past week there were two big events going on that I knew about and then all of a sudden I heard about 2 others. All happening at basically the same time. It's conference craziness. Or is it?

It seems everywhere I go people are talking about it, commenting on it, complaining about it, etc...and the question I want to ask is this: All these events/conferences/seminars...good thing or bad thing? Let's look at the pros and cons according to chatter I've been hearing. Keep in mind I'm not necessarily advocating or validating all of these, but they are each real or at least perceived to be real...to somebody.

Cons

1. Money - No doubt the economy has affected churches. In many places giving is down, staff has been reduced, expenses limited, etc... How can anyone afford to go to all these events?
2. Time - For those of us who are in the trenches and really knocking it out, how could we possibly get away to even a fraction of all these events? Already gone from family too much and feel spread too thin all around.
3. Cookie Cutter - It seems everybody and their brother who has had even a hint of success thinks they have something to add to the conversation by way of a conference. End result is tons of events that look, sound, and in fact are, pretty much the same. A market flooded with mediocre product. Case in point, Ed Stetzer's pictures that he tweets at beginning of most events where he speaks: Band + giant screen + cool logo = conference. Every single time. And how about the fact that many of these events have virtually the same cast of characters. How do we know on the front end which ones are really going to be worth it?
4. Information overload - even if I can make some of these events, how will I ever be able to process/digest everything? Again, who has the time? 

Pros

The pros I'm not going to address via a list, but rather a stream of thought centered around one simple concept: competition is good. For everybody. Especially the consumer. No doubt there is some fallout here and there. There's often brand confusion, information overload and a fragmented marketplace along the way. And this may last for 2-3 years or longer. But when the dust settles, and I think we're starting to see the beginning of that, the best options will be clear.

Competition forces the players to compete and only the best teams can consistently win. The others will eventually fall to the wayside. We're already seeing many players close up shop or merge with others. Competition tends to drive down costs, increases value and perks, and inspire creativity and innovation, all things that benefit the consumer. New and better events will be created. Niche markets will be created becoming ever more specialized and focused. More diverse and unique speaker lineups will emerge. More and better options will be offered. And at the end of the day, you, the consumer, get to decide what works and what doesn't, what stays and what goes. You have the power.

No doubt it can be a bit murky as we wade through all the wannabes, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. So choose wisely, and may the best conferences win. Because when they win, we ALL win.

Would love to hear your feedback on this issue. Hit me back and let your voice be heard. 

How To Use New 'List' Feature On Twitter

If you're wondering what the new 'list' feature on twitter is all about, check out the quick overview below from Influential Marketing Blog.

1. You can segment your firehose. The #1 criticism of Twitter is that if you follow thousands of people and see all their tweets appearing in one interface, it's tough to manage. Searches in third party tools like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck have made this more manageable, but those usually only work based on keywords, which is inefficient. What if I wanted to just see all the tweets from my colleagues at Ogilvy? That was tough to do. Now with lists, I can create my own group of colleagues and just reference that.
2. Offers a more meaningful metric of influence. You'll notice if you have a Twitter account that in the spot where it used to just list the number of tweets you have done, it now shows how frequently you are "listed." This is a new metric of influence that sits somewhere between followers and retweets - but one that indicates how frequently other Twitter users who are creating their own lists are including you on their list. In short order, I imagine that number (along with retweets) will become more influential than having hundreds of thousands of robot followers when it comes to measuring influence on Twitter.
3. Allows you to easily follow a trusted group of individuals. One of the biggest issues I have had in the past with Twitter is that it is difficult to follow a group of users all at once. Of course, you used to be able to use services like Tweepml to do this, but that was incomplete and the lists were often anonymously posted and so the data may not be as trustworthy. Now with Twitter Lists, you can create a list of all the attendees at a particular conference, for example, and with one click anyone can follow them.
4. Lets any user of Twitter segment who they actually read. Up until now, the greatest compliment you could give someone who you follow and read on Twitter was to retweet something they posted. Now with Twitter Lists, you can add them to a list and not only make your own experience of reading content on Twitter better (see #1 on this list), but you can also send a subtle reminder to the person you are following that unlike the other thousands of accounts you might follow, their's is one you actually pay attention to.
5. Gives brands an opportunity to aggregate multiple accounts. Many brands have multiple accounts - for example hotel brands that have a master account and then separate accounts for separate regional properties. This phenomenon was becoming more widespread, but now with Twitter Lists, brands can aggregate all their accounts together in a list - and best of all, if each Twitter account does this, the lists will show up on the sidebar linking anyone who sees one branded account to all the others.

4 Questions to Ask Before Designing Media/Marketing

So many times when clients call us they have big ideas and plans for their new media or marketing projects. It's all about 'look' and 'feel' and getting it done fast. But the first thing we always do is call a quick time out in order to ask some incredibly important questions. Whether it's a web site, print or video, a marketing campaign or a media piece for worship, the most important thing is not the look or feel or even the cool factor.  The most important thing, above all else, is whether or not it works. If your media doesn't 'work' for you, it's a big waste of time and money.

Any time your organization is getting ready to create some new media/marketing, you need to ask some key questions about your project.

1) Who is your target? Always keep in mind that marketing is more about your customer than it is about you.  Your image means nothing to them unless it helps convey how you are going to meet THEIR need. So always design target specific. Make sure you are speaking their language, using images that they can relate to, and using media/mediums they are comfortable with. All of these things say 'we get you'. If you're not asking this question it's because it's too much about you and not enough about them. Effective media/marketing is always about them.

2) Why are you doing this? If you don't have a clear answer to the question 'why' or to the question 'what are we trying to accomplish' then you need to step away from the designer and drop your checkbook. Seriously. Before you even think about design, you must have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish. The answer to that question should drive your copy/language, your images, color palette, everything. As the design firm, trust me, we like your checkbook very much. It helps feed the children. Our children. But if we design the coolest thing ever for you and it doesn't accomplish your goals, it's a fail. Period. And if you fail, then we fail. And we don't like to fail. So help me help you. Ask the question 'why'.

3) How do you measure success? Question #2 must always be followed by this one. You've got to have some goals, some way of determining that your project did in fact accomplish it's mission. It's important that this is determined before you launch the project, totally objective an uninfluenced by 'perceived' success on the back end. Decide how to measure before you proceed.

4) What medium(s) will you use? Ideally you want to determine what types of mediums you will use, and therefore what type of media you need to create, right up front. This is a decision to be made not on feeling or what you think is the cool thing to do. This is a strategic decision that should be based on knowledge and facts. A decision based on what's best for you, for your customers, based on what you can afford and where you think you'll get the most bang for your buck. This decision also helps you be efficient during creation and design. If a designer has all the end uses and goals in mind, he can often kill two or more birds with one keystroke, saving time and money.

Vendor or Strategic Partner?

It always surprises me when our clients seem shocked, surprised, even overwhelmed by the high level of service Big Picture Media brings to the table. I have to confess it was never a strategic decision to truly partner with our clients. As a former staff member I never imagined doing it any other way. It was part of my DNA and therefore the DNA of our team to embed ourselves with our clients. Their challenges, their dreams, their victories were ours. 

So it was cool to see this great post from Kem Meyer at Granger Church regarding what they look for in a Strategic Partner. Check it out here and make sure to add her as one of your regular blog checks. It's always good stuff. Enjoy!

When we're looking for outside help, we need more than templates, products and a one-size fits all approach. We're looking for "A trusted advisor. A mental sparring partner. Someone with the flexibility of a great vendor, yet the resolve of a doctor who is not prepared to give bad medicine." With inspiration from this FutureLab document, I've created a list of things to look for in a partner.

1. Someone who focuses on solutions instead of products. Many consultants listen to a client's request for a solution and come back with an answer that fits their in-house capabilities and compensation models. We're leery of people who are quick to offer a product-only solution (their product only). I count on outside experts to help us navigate and give us good working options from which to choose. Third-party solutions are a good thing--don't build from scratch just because you can. Proprietary methods and strategies can take years instead of months to implement. In one short conversation, it is evident whether someone is interested in selling products or taking a personal interest in your continued success.
2. Someone who improves upon your ideas. Many consultants will do what you want--no questions asked. That's not a good thing. We're interested in someone who will tell us what is out there, challenge us and help us see potential problems with our objectives. We may have a great vision and plan to reach the vision that won’t sustain today’s technology or client environments. A partner will help us continually look at the big picture and avoid making decisions with blinders on. It’s their job to educate us about the potential consequences of our decisions, good and bad. Do they have the ability to serve as our "mental sparring partner" or not?
3. Someone who can reveal the cost of failure. Most consultants don’t talk ROI. Instead, they emphasize the budgets they manage as well as the client list, certifications and awards they have. While some of that is important, it’s more important to demonstrate they’ll make back more than they spend on your services. Name dropping is not a good sign--run away.
4. Someone who owns the troubleshooting. Our long-lasting partnerships are with people who demonstrate client-service to a fault. A “can-do” attitude is overlying tone of all interactions. As the expert, it is their job to tell us how something will work and ensure that it does. With all the technology solutions and resources available today, there is always a solution. It is our expectation that we will never hear “it can’t be done” but rather "here's what we CAN do."
5. Someone who educates your team to be self-sufficient. How our partner plans to transfer their knowledge to our in-house team needs to be part of the deal. Proactive is better than reactive. I want someone who will bring solutions to our attention that will improve our situation.
6. Someone who helps you grow into it. It's important to partner with someone who not only sees the current picture of today's reality, but also helps prepare you for course changes or growth without breaking or forcing you to start from scratch.

If you're looking for this kind of help in creating a brand, communicating a vision, or conquering the web, give us a call. We would love to TRULY partner with you and your team to make it happen.

3 Signs of a Healthy/Unhealthy Church

Having spent 15  years on various church staffs and time with hundreds of church clients over the past six years, I've developed a bit of a sixth sense when it comes to the health of a church. Fact is it's not rocket science. The signs are everywhere and pretty easy to spot. But when we're in the middle of it, when it's OUR church, it suddenly gets complicated. Sometimes we're so busy we just don't see the signs. Other times we see them but ignore them in hopes that they will just go away. Finally, and this may be the worst of them all, we see them very clearly but we are quick to excuse or justify. This list is by no means exhaustive, but will help you to start asking the right questions. So let's take a quick look at three of the biggest signs we should all be watching out for.

Sign #1 - GROWTH AND FRUIT

Bottom line a healthy anything (person, church, animal, plant, organization) grows. Some grow faster or different than others, but all healthy things grow. And they can grow numerically, or by reproducing, or in strength/effectiveness. Healthy things are full of energy and life, and they produce fruit of some kind. In a church that fruit should be things like salvation, life change, spiritual maturity, giving, serving and sending. No growth, no fruit = no health.

Sign #2 - INNOVATION/ADAPTABILITY

Healthy things stay that way because they learn to adapt to their changing environments through innovation. This isn't a contemporary vs. traditional issue, it applies to all. You have to remember that the degree of innovation is determined not by the innovation itself, but by the point of origin. You have to measure your church's innovation against itself, not other churches. All points of origin are different. It's also important that we don't change for change's sake, but because it's necessary for growth. Bottom line, if your organization looks exactly the same as it did a year, two years, five years ago, your health is definitely in question.

SIGN #3 - LONG TERM MEMBERS (AND STAFF)

This sign goes hand in hand with #1 (Growth). One without the other is not good, but as you grow, if you tend to keep people a long time, that is a great sign of health. The fact is that healthy people can not and will not stay at an unhealthy church for very long. The biggest test for this is among leadership. These are the people who get to see behind the curtain, who work directly with the staff. Sooner or later they will get a true picture of the health of the church. If there is constant turnover among people in leadership, you have a serious problem. And no amount of new people coming in the front door will fix it. Longevity = health.

Oh My God

Came across a really interesting movie trailer today, wanted to share it. I think the premise of this movie is extremely important and serve as a reminder about where people are coming from. Check it out here:

New Look For Cogun

Nothing excites our Big Picture Media team more than getting a call from a client that says 'we need a design, no limits, do whatever you want to communicate our message.' Just last week we got 'the call' from Cogun to do just that. Cogun is one of the premier church builders in America. They are the best not just because they know how to build a great building, but because they truly 'get' church. That's why churches like Elevation Church in Charlotte (fastest growing church in America last year) depend on Cogun to knock it out of the park for them. 

So when Cogun needs great design, they depend on Big Picture Media. Our relationship began 3 years ago when Cogun first approached us to rebrand their entire company from the ground up. Since then we've partnered on multiple projects including video productions and consulting for their Cornerstone Knowledge Network events. For the upcoming Catalyst conference in ATL, they wanted to create a shirt that capured their unique design-build process in a fresh new way. With an incredibly short turnaround time, our creative team including artist Joey Seales rose to the challenge. The design below captures Cogun's process: inspiration from God, assembling the right team, construction A-Z, a result that represents the fingerprints of God here on earth, the worshiper giving thanks to the God that created it all - a full circle experience. Or what Cogun likes to refer to as 'building the RIGHT ministry space.' Check it out:

If you need a partner to help you communicate your unique vision, let us know. You can also see multiple examples of our work at bigpicturemediagroup.net.