ChurchMag Podcast

How we take care of ourselves is a spiritual matter. Rest is a spiritual discipline. God makes a big deal about it. In this episode Blessing Mpofu and Chris Wilson talk about self-care and mental health. Sharing from experience they talk about signs of unhealth and how to bounce back. This Might Also Be HelpfulYour Life Matters – A List Of Mental Health Resources For You And Your ChurchWhat Jeremy Learned with ChurchAndMentalHealth.com [Podcast #263]Self-care In Church And Organizational LifeMental Health Church Plan: Awareness to ActionWhat I Wish The Church Did About Mental HealthWhat I Wish The Church Knew About Mental Healthchurchandmentalhealth.comLet's Talk About ItAs an individual how do you know that you're either in not a healthy space or heading toward one? What safeguarding measures does your church / team / organisation have in place to foster an environment of healthy people?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode. 

The Church is inherently diverse. Not only at a macro, big "C" Church level, but also in the micro or local churches diversity is something we [should] embrace as our default setting. Blessing Mpofu asks Jono Hesp to share some of his experiences working in and with different denominations, cultures and countries.  Let’s Talk About ItWhat stood out to you in this episode? Questions? Ideas? Anything to add?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

Matt Hogg joins Blessing Mpofu and Chris Wilson. Matt is a vicar (pastor) in London, and talks about his initial apprehension to digital and social media and how it changed. Not only that but also how and his journey to not only use it as a church leader but also how his church embraced it. Full of practical and actionable ideas and tips, this is worth your while. Oh! Matt also told us about a couple of things he'll be working as he transition from his pastoral role and church. Mentioned In This EpisodeMore about Matt Hogg TwitterInstagramMaking Social More SocialRev Chris:WebsiteYouTubeTwitterInstagramAlpha: serving the Church in its mission to help people discover and develop a relationship with Jesusnextdoor: neighbourhoods social media network / appStronger Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramFacebookCPAS: Anglican evangelical mission agency.You Might Also Want To Check OutMotives and Metrics In Church Life and Media [Previous podcast episode]Is Your Church Focused On The Right Metrics?Are We Worried About the Wrong Things On Social Media?Let’s Talk About ItWhat stood out to you in this episode? Questions? Ideas? Anything to add?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

Blessing Mpofu and Chris Wilson wrestle with where the lines blur when it comes to motives and metrics in church life and media. What's the line where "borrowing" from pop culture hurts our churches' mission? How do we know when we're now more consumed with feeding the algorithm for reaction and compromised the mission?  Mentioned In This EpisodeRise and Fall Of Mars Hill––The Brand@JoshCarlosJosh on TwitterJohn StottMatthew 6:16-18 (ESV):“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 'You Might Also Find This UsefulIs Your Church Focused On The Right Metrics?Tracking Spiritual Growth Or Gut Feel?The Elusiveness of Measuring Online Influence and EffectivenessBeyond Numbers #01: Things That Should Keep Church Leaders Up At NightLet’s Talk About ItAs the Church / creatives do you think we get lost in looking for a reaction or feeding the algorithm? What's your take on being relevant? Any thoughts or ideas sparked from this episode?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

Blessing Mpofu has a conversation with Jono Hesp, who has extensive experience working data, church management and other database solutions. They talk about how to move from no data to understanding your church’s trends.You Might Also Find This UsefulWhy You Should Use A Church Management SystemThe Case for Church Management Software: Membership Complexity – What You Should Know About Church TechThe Art of Making Church Admin DisappearLet’s Talk About ItWhat is your church currently doing around the area of data and Church Management Systems? Thoughts on anything you heard in this episode?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

Yes, we know, we know. Apple's WWDC 2021 happened a while ago. But guess what? Somewhere in the mine conversation post that event there were some gems we just had to share. In this episode Blessing Mpofu and Chris Wilson unpack  two big themes––privacy and sharing, that came out of the event. How do they impact evangelism and discipleship? They also contextualise them for churches and organisations, as they explore what they could mean for media, content creation and communication. Mentioned In The EpisodeWWDC 2021The Alpha CourseChurch Online PlatformThe Marriage CoursesYouVersion For Churches / EventsThe ChurchMag Covid Survey [Results]Let's Talk About ItHave you noticed any changes in how your congregation or people your organization serves when it comes to privacy? What do you think about the idea of sharing and privacy? Any other thoughts?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

In this ChurchMag Podcast episode Blessing Mpofu has a conversation with Chris Wilson about creating helpful how-to-guides and documentation. This insightful conversation has many principles and ideas that can be used in church and organizational life. Oh! we've also got the-yet-to-be-named segment with two noteworthy items. Mentioned In This EpisodeDocument It: Why We Must DocumentDocument It: Best Documenting PracticesDocument It: Debunking Myths of DocumentingDocument It: How To DocumentBook: Anything You Want by Derek Sivers Amazon | Apple Books How To Make A Linktree Replacement In WordPressLoom––Record quick videos of your screen and camNoteworthyThe Rise and Fall of Mars Hill hosted by Mike CosperSaved By The City hosted by Roxanne Stone and Katelyn BeatyLet's Talk About ItDo you have any system for creating useful guides and documentation? How do you and your team / church / organization currently manage this? What are some of your most notable take aways from this episode?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

Chris Wilson and Blessing Mpofu are back in the episode, talking about collaboration platforms and solutions. They talk about ones they've used or are using––what they've liked or not liked about them. Don't think that that it's all about the platforms or tools. Gems of wisdom on teamwork, communication and productivity abound and are there for the taking. Level up your collaboration, productivity and teamwork. Mentioned In The EpisodeMiroGoogle DocsEvernoteNotionJesse GruberAsanaBasecampSlack‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport [Review]Get Deep Work Book on Amazon | Apple Books | IndieBoundGet Digital Minimalism on Amazon | Apple Books | IndieBoundGet A World Without Email  on Amazon | Apple Books | IndieBoundMicrosoft TeamsP2Noteworthy From EpisodeNotion ReviewBible Tracking Reading Tracking Using NotionTracking Your Sermons With NotionHow To Prepare A Sermon Using NotionNotion Backlinks For Better Digital Bible NotesEvernote on ChurchMagLet’s Talk About ItWhat collaboration platforms or solutions do you use? Anything to add to the conversation? Would love to know what you think.Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

Blessing Mpofu and Chris Wilson have a conversation with Jason Brueckner and Ryland Brown from Logos Daily. Through community, coaching and content they help people learn, master Logos Bible Software. They also share great thoughts on Bible study, investing in spiritual formation for community, ministry and the value of personalised coaching vs. generic resources and content. Logos DailyWebsiteTwitterFacebook Group - Tips and TricksFaithlife - Free Books SubRedditAlso Mentioned In This EpisodeYouVersion (Bible App) Also see this and this.Logos Bible SoftwareLogos Bible Software Starter KitFaithlife EquipAccordance Bible Let’s Talk Do you use Logos Bible Software? Do you have any thoughts about Bible study tools and unlocking their potential for you and your community?Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here - or at podcast@churchm.ag and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

In the previous podcast episode, "The Sate Of Social" we surveyed the state of the social aspect on social media and networks. We pick up the conversation in this episode talking about making social (media / networks) more social. You might find some of the practical tips and examples useful for your context. Mentioned In The EpisodeHow COVID Has Affected Christians’ Faith [Survey Results]A Look At Two Lectio Divina Devotional AppsNoteworthyLectio 365More about the devotional app app herePete Greig24/7 PrayerObsidian And Bible StudyHow To Set up Obsidian To Take Connected Bible NotesLet’s Talk About Making Social More SocialWhat thoughts or ideas were sparked by the conversation? Perhaps it was something Blessing highlighted as noteworthy. Whatever it is, let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast on Twitter — or contact us here - or at podcast@churchm.ag and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

The State of Social In Social With social media as ubiquitous as it is, talking about it, though sometimes exhausting, is still worthwhile. In this episode Blessing Mpofu and Chris Wilson have the first of two conversations, about making social (media) more social. We also debut the first of a new segment, where we highlight something noteworthy. Noteworthy:Check out Mary DeMuth's website here and her podcast, "Pray Every Day" here.See Mental Health Church Plan: Awareness to Action, is the blog post mentioned and check out ChurchAndMentalHealth.com hereLet's talk:How would you describe the state of social media at the moment? What did you think of the noteworthy resources?Let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast — contact us here or by email at podcast@churchm.ag — and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

After an unusually long ChurchMag Podcast hiatus Blessing does an editor's drop to say hello and shed a little light on the impact of 2020. He says what's been happening and announces a little of what's happening with the ChurchMag Podcast and maybe not enough of what's coming but give it a listen anyway. What would you like us to cover. Let us know on Twitter — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast — contact us here or by email at podcast@churchm.ag

Dear Diary,It's March 249th, 2020. COVID-19 has been with us for a long time, now and we have had more video conference calls this month than our entire lives previously.Will I make it to April?-- Signed: Tired of PandemicsDo you have anything to add to the conversation? If you have any video conference call tips, please tell us on Twitter — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast — contact us here or by email at podcast@churchm.ag — and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

This week on the podcast we share something we recorded back in March of this year and seems to have become even more relevant over the past several months.Here are all the links we referred to in this episode:Robert Downey Jr and Tom Holland in Back to the future - This is heavy! [ deepfake ]Trump Shared a Fake Video of Biden. We Asked His Campaign Why.White House shares edited video to justify revoking press pass of CNN's Jim AcostaPhotoshop Will Help ID Images That Have Been … PhotoshoppedAdobe, Stanford and Princeton have developed deepfake software that can change video dialogue. Here's how it worksUnboxing The Pablo Escobar Fold 2The Truth About the Escobar Folding Phone!Tell us what you think on Twitter — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast — contact us here or by email at podcast@churchm.ag — and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

How are you facing your first world problems?"First world problems" is somewhat complicated. On one hand, we shouldn't complain while so many people in the world have much more serious issues to handle. On the other hand, a "first world problem" is still a problem that has to be faced.Let's talk about it!Tell us about your recent "first world problems" and how you successfully navigated through them or what you took away from the experience.Let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast — contact us here or by email at podcast@churchm.ag — and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

With different states and countries in different phases of "re-opening" we talk about schools. And there are some thoughts about youth ministry and evangelism. On the overall this episode is also about about the profound impact on a generation, maybe even the one after. We'd love to know how things are going in your home, district, even city. What are some of your thoughts about your children or young people in your church or community?Let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast — contact us here or by email at podcast@churchm.ag — and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

With a global pandemic, we have all had our share of video calls and Zoom meetings. There have been thousands of in-person conferences that have either been canceled or transformed into webinars.Will the conferences we have come to know ever return? Will webinars replace them?What do you think will happen to conferences as we know them? Let us know — @ChurchMag using #cmagcast — contact us here or by email at podcast@churchm.ag — and we’ll share it on an upcoming episode.

After months of a global pandemic and economic strain, what affect has it had on church planting?Join the conversation on this week's episode by using the #cmagcast hashtag or send us an email at podcast@churchm.ag and we'll share your comment on a future podcast.Here is the full series by Phil that Blessing referred to:Church Without Limitations: Get Moving 1Church Without Obstacles: Problem-Solving 2Church Without End: Scalability 3Church Without Gaps: Human Capital 4Church Without A Building: Decentralization 5Church Without Buildings: Internet Churches 6Church Without Divisions: Hyper-Threaded Wikis 7Church Without Pastors: E-quipped Disciples 8Church Without Budgets: Kickstarting the Kingdom 9Church Without Problems: Digital Discontent 10Church Without Hours: Internet Office 11Church Without Structures: Simple 12

COVID is bringing along with it economic turmoil in its wake. This ultimately affects church budgets -- so what do you do about your church tech budget?Should it be slashed? Should it be expanded?The answer isn't as obvious as you might think.Referenced in this episode: When Churches Reopen: The Vulnerable

Are you experiencing -- STREAMING FATIGUE?That's the term we've coined for the feeling you get after "attending" church service streams for months on end.Is it sustainable? Is it working? Where do we go from here?