Posted on July 9, 2010 by
Justin Wise
We’ve been honoring churches all week that excel in the field of church communications. They’re breaking down walls, challenging the norms and blazing new trails for others to follow. That’s why we call them Firestarters. They start creative fires wherever they go! Today we round out our 2010 honorees by looking at a church that’s leveraging social media for good and another that makes things happen on a proverbial dime.
The Chapel – Chicago
The Chapel is doing some incredible work in the Chicagoland area and have leveraged great marketing ideas, social media, and the web to effectively reach thousands. They have an active presence on most social networks, ranging from a Facebook group for their singles ministry to a staff Twitter directory.
On the web: http://www.chapel.org
Ottumwa Bridge – Ottumwa, Iowa
Led by Marty Schmidt, this church has done a lot with a very small budget. They have a great website and lead pastor Marty’s blog serves as one of the primary points of communication for the church. They are growing exponentially in a tough place for church growth, with a minuscule budget.
On the web: http://ottumwabridge.org
Read more about what a Firestarter is and how churches were selected and view the full list of the 2010 Firestarters.
Tags: Firestarter, Ottumwa Bridge, The Chapel
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Posted on July 8, 2010 by
Justin Wise
We’re almost through our list of Firestarters. Today, we look at a church that has guts and another that has grace. Each one is choosing to relate and communicate to their surrounding community in a brand new way. That’s why these two churches are Firestarters. They get how to communicate to the surrounding culture in a way that makes sense. Enjoy!
Guts Church – Tulsa, Okla.
They have a long standing reputation for community relations. Any time their is a community disaster, Guts Church is there to help. Additionally, Guts Church has volunteers throughout the city helping in schools and many other organizations.
On the web: http://www.gutschurch.com
Grace Church – McKean, Penn.
They’re using a fresh voice and simple clarity to personalize communication and alleviate the noise and chaos of traditional “broadcast” promotions. Also, they’re partnering with the mayor’s office and major nonprofits to ‘Serve Erie’ and have a diverse management team (in experience and age). They’re innovative without significant resources.
On the web: http://whoisgrace.com
Read more about what a Firestarter is and how churches were selected and come back all week as we reveal the rest of the 2010 Firestarters.
Tags: Firestarter, Grace Church, Guts Church
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Posted on July 5, 2010 by
Justin Wise
Last week we announced the latest project from the Center for Church Communication, Firestarter. It’s a way to recognize churches that have ignited ideas and sparked brilliant communication. This week we’re going to announce the 10 churches that have been recognized as 2010 Firestarters. We’ll put the spotlight on two churches each day all week.
Bloom – St. Paul, Minn.
They have a fresh approach to church branding. They launched a young, hip and sophisticated church brand for young adults in the politically-charged Twin Cities. The brand appeal has been attracting creatives to the new church plant since its launch in the fall of 2009.
On the web: http://whybloom.com
The Gateway Church – Des Moines, Iowa
They desire to join with God in the renewal of all things, namely Des Moines. The design flows into the building that they use. The preaching flows into the small group materials. It all works. They are reaching a community of believers (ages 20-35) exceptionally well, in a time when this age group is leaving the church in droves.
On the web: http://thegatewaychurch.com
Read more about what a Firestarter is and how churches were selected and come back all week as we reveal the rest of the 2010 Firestarters.
Tags: Bloom, Firestarter, The Gateway Church
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Posted on July 2, 2010 by
Kevin D. Hendricks
The Center for Church Communication is proud to announce the launch of Firestarter. It’s an initiative to recognize churches that are excelling in brilliant communication.
As an organization, we wanted to spotlight churches that are doing it right. We wanted to celebrate gospel communication in all its forms: from printed brochures to websites, from Facebook ad campaigns to beautiful logos, we want to celebrate the intersection of design and inspiration in connecting people to God’s message, to Jesus.
It’s not a contest or award ceremony. It’s not about bragging or showing off. It’s not about winners and losers. It’s about celebrating churches that have ignited ideas and sparked brilliant communication. The hope is that this project will fan the flame and spread those creative embers to other church communicators.
Welcome to Firestarter.
Our new project catalyst, Justin Wise, has been working hard on this project and the 2010 Firestarters will be announced on Monday, July 5. Read more about Firestarter.
Tags: Firestarter
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Posted on June 28, 2010 by
Kevin D. Hendricks
Say hello to the newest members of the Center for Church Communication team: Tim Schraeder and Justin Wise. They’re our new project catalysts, which means they make things happen.
Tim Schraeder is the director of communications at Park Community Church in Chicago. He has a frequently updated blog (which is known for excellent conference notes) and has done some guest blogging for our own Church Marketing Sucks. Tim is quite outspoken about church communications and has an idea brewing for a collaborative project that will provide a much-needed resource for churches. We can’t say much about it now but we’ll unveil details about it in the coming months.
Justin Wise is the digital director at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, Iowa. He’s also quite the blogger and has done his share of guest blogging for Church Marketing Sucks as well. Justin has been working behind the scenes on Firestarter, a new initiative that we’ll be announcing later this week. From conception to completion, the project has taken three months and it has given Justin (and soon the rest of us!) a glimpse at the creative ways God is moving in the church.
So stay tuned to see what happens when we set our project catalysts loose.
Tags: Firestarter, Justin Wise, Project Catalysts, Tim Schraeder
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