Using YouTube for Ministry

I’m going to let the video speak for itself. To see all the videos we currently have on YouTube, go to: www.youtube.com/hendersonhills

Don’t Judge too Quickly!

At the Collaborative Leadership Conference today we were shown a YouTube video. There was no introduction of the video. It was just played.
I have to admit…I immediately began judging even before I heard him sing. Makes me sad to think that I still judge people too quickly and base it on first impressions.
First impressions are [...]

Great Tips for Church Marketing

A good friend of mine, Chris Forbes, lists 15 Ways to Improve Your Church Marketing. I really encourage you to take a look at this post from his blog MinistryMarketingCoach.com.
I highly respect Chris and value his input and insight. He’s been a HUGE help to me this past year. By the way, if you need [...]

This is Customer Support

Apple’s Steve Jobs sent a letter out to all the early adopters of the iPhone. Seems that some are a little disgruntled that Apple is dropping the price of the 8gig phone by $200.  Here’s a link to the letter from Jobs: Early Adopter’s Letter.
WOW. Now that’s how to take care of your customers and [...]

Church “Vibe”

Seth Godin wrote this morning in his blog about “Business Vibe”.  Check it out here: Seth’s blog.
It got me thinking…what’s the “Vibe” when someone comes to church?

Is it positive or negative?
Friendly or unfriendly?
Warm or cold?
Inviting or closed?
Exciting or boring?
Insightful or mundane?
Caring or insensitive?
Loving or indifferent?

Great things to think about.  I do believe what he says at the [...]

8 Ways To Make A Great First Impression

#8 Research The Company
Good interviews happen because those being interviewed have done their homework.  If you are going to an interview, it’s best to know key details related to the company. 
So how does this relate to the church?  Here’s a few ways:

Anticipate questions that First Time Guests will ask.  Here are a few that we [...]

8 Ways To Make A Great First Impression

#7 Make Good Conversation
I’m convinced that being a good conversationalist is a gift.  One of my friends, Ken Maulsby, is truly a gifted conversationalist.  He can talk to anyone.  In fact we’ve seen him talking to a brick wall before and was enjoying it!
Having “people” people at key points in your building is a way to [...]

8 Ways To Make A Great First Impression

#6 - Look At Their Business Cards
How does this relate to the church making a GREAT First Impression?  Business cards in the market place give you these things:

Vital information - Name, address, phone, fax, email, cell phone, web address
A look into their business practices - Does the card look good?  Was it professionally printed?  Does it [...]

8 Ways To Make A Great First Impression

#5 - Introduce Yourself And Ask For Names
People love to be remembered.  When someone visits your church, one thing they are looking for is a place where they can feel like a part of the family.  They want to be known by others and they want to know others.  It’s just how we are wired.
So…how [...]

8 Ways To Make A Great First Impression

#4 - Use Body Language
According to one UCLA study, 93% of a person’s communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal communication. If this is true in an interview or daily conversation, it is also true when someone comes to your church.  Here are a few keys to effectively communicate non-verbally to those that visit your church:

Eyes - Look them in the [...]