Church Executive SEPT / OCT 2019 DIGITAL ISSUE | Page 8

FROM THE EDITOR Bringing church tech down to bite-sized This month, our cover story takes a decidedly “tech” turn as we profile Joel Guthrie, host of The Church Engagement Podcast. Guthrie wears a lot of other hats: aside from podcast host, he’s also a content marketer, worship leader and youth leader. He grew up in a church planting family and studied audio engineering. He has spent a career working in marketing in the tech space, including for Microsoft and Amazon. All these experiences make him uniquely suited to help church leaders mobilize technology — often dismissed as an impersonal aspect of ministry — to drive personal engagement and congregational growth. “[Pastors are] being bombarded with, ‘You need technology.’ ‘You need to be using social.’ ‘You need to be livestreaming now.’ ‘You need to have another campus,’” he acknowledges. For this reason, he says, the podcast spends less time talking about the ‘why’ than the ‘how.’ “We give listeners super actionable steps,” Guthrie explains. “So, if they’re driving to the office, they can put those steps into practice when they arrive. We try to stay super tangible.” On pages 8-10, find out how he brings big tech ideas down to a manageable, instantly actionable size — from social media best practices, to using tech to help increase small group attendance, and everything in between. We’re also extremely excited to debut “Stop Sexual Abuse,” a brand-new series on a topic that no church can afford to ignore. Series authors Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris, co-founders of MinistrySafe, represent more than 50 years of combined legal experience addressing child sexual abuse issues impacting ministries and secular organizations across North America. In this new series, they’ll provide ministry leaders with analysis and guidance such that they can understand the risk, properly prepare to meet the risk, and effectively address the risk with preventive protocols. “Most ministries are doing something,” they caution, “but [they’re] not doing the right thing.” Read their fantastic first installment on pages 26-27 (CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IN MINISTRY CONTEXTS: UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS). Also keep an eye out for the next installment — in our November / December 2019 issue — which will help you understand and recognize 8 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | SEPT / OCT 2019 the offender's tragedy strikes. churchexecutive.com Volume 18, Number 5 4742 N. 24th St., Ste. 340 Phoenix, AZ 85016 • 800.541.2670 grooming process before On pages 22-23 (PASTORS FOLLOW THE PATH TO FINANCIAL WELLNESS), we profile the Strategic Pastoral Excellence Program (SPEP) — a godsend for pastors experiencing the personal guilt and shame of debt. And it's a common problem, to be sure; research shows pastors are twice as likely to experience financial stress as the average American. One of the initiatives launched as part of the grant MMBB received from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. in 2015, SPEP is a three-year program for pastors, focusing first on personal financial planning topics. Additionally, the program engages pastors and congregations in the dynamics of congregational stewardship, care for the pastor, and developing healthy patterns of talking about financial issues. In this article, we talk about the curriculum involved; why spousal involvement is a priority; how SPEP pastors learn from each other's experiences; program expectations; and plenty more. You'll also meet the visionaries behind the program, as well as a pastor and his wife, whose lives were changed. Additionally, we’re offering four important Remote Roundtable Discussions in this issue: CHURCH DESIGN TRENDS (pages 12-14); MAKING DISTANCE LEARNING WORK (pages 18-20); STAYING CONNECTED BEYOND SUNDAY (pages 28-29); and MAXIMIZING YEAR-END GIVING (pages 32-33). As with all our roundtables, we’ve gathered some of the best experts in their respective fields — from church architecture and design, to ChMS, to advanced education and digital giving — to survey their landscapes and help you not only improve your churches, but yourselves. Judi Victor CEO / Sales Manager [email protected] RaeAnn Slaybaugh Editor in Chief [email protected] Stephen Gamble Creative Director [email protected] Mitch Larson Business & Accounting Manager [email protected] Skylar Griego Assistant Editor [email protected] EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL Stephen Briggs Associate Pastor of Administration First Baptist Church | Hendersonville, NC Denise Craig Executive Pastor Abba’s House | Hixson, TN Mike Klockenbrink Chief of Staff Lakeside Church | Folsom, CA Dan Mikes Executive Vice President Bank of the West | San Ramon, CA John C. Mrazek III Executive Pastor Pathways Church | Denver, CO Sam S. Rainer III Senior Pastor West Bradenton Baptist Church | Bradenton, FL Mark Simmons Business Manager Christ Community Church | Milpitas, CA As always, we love (and welcome) feedback! Eric Spacek Senior Manager GuideOne Insurance | West Des Moines, IA RaeAnn Slaybaugh Editor in Chief > TALK TO ME: Email: [email protected] Facebook: Church Executive Magazine Twitter: @churchexecutive.com CLA A publication of: Church Executive ™ Magazine is published bi-monthly by Power Trade Media, a division of The Producers, Inc., 4742 N. 24th Street, Ste. 340, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Subscription rates for non-qualified subscribers, single issue prices and pricing for reprints of 100 or more are available from: [email protected]. All articles in Church Executive ™ Magazine are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2019 by Power Trade Media. No advertisement, sponsorship or description or reference to a product or service will be deemed an endorsement by Power Trade Media, and no warranty is made or implied. Information is obtained from sources the editors believe reliable, accurate and timely, but is not guaranteed, and Power Trade Media is not responsible for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed in Church Executive ™ Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or sponsors or advertisers. Content addressing legal, tax and other technical issues is not intended as professional advice and cannot be relied on as such; readers should consult with their own professional advisors.