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Workshops for #Story2TellUMC

The following workshops are being offered at the “We Have a Story to Tell!” local church communications event at Puyallup United Methodist Church on November 14th, 2015. Click here for more information about the event and for registration.

Workshops

sophia-agtarapAdvent and Seasonal Campaigns: Reaching beyond Sunday morning (UMCom)

Rethink Church: A movement to transform members, congregations and communities beyond the Sunday morning gathering, invites you to dream big. Together, we will explore using traditional and non-traditional resources for reaching beyond the walls of your church to engage your community . By learning from others and using the gifts and resources of your congregation, you will discover how to Rethink Church and why Rethink Church is so crucial to effective, relevant ministry in the 21st century.​

We will be previewing seasonal resources and what Rethink Church can provide local churches and districts during back to school, Lent and other special seasons in the life of the church.

Trainer: Sophia Agtarap is a communicator/storyteller and communications strategist for nonprofits, higher education and faith-based organizations. She currently lives in Nashville, TN.

 

teri-tobeyBeyond the bulletin board: Communicating with Today’s Youth and Parents

During this workshop participants will look beyond bulletin boards and printed newsletters to explore many of the different tools available today to effectively share the story of your ministry with both youth and their parents.

Trainer: Teri Tobey is the Program Associate for Young People’s Ministries for the PNW Conference. Teri has years of experience working with youth as both paid staff and volunteer.

 

jeremy-smithBlogging to build up hope amidst a social media tear-down culture

Prolific United Methodist blogger, Rev. Jeremy Smith will discuss how blogging can function to subvert the outrage culture (e.g., Facebook slacktivism and Twitter shaming) and tell a story of hope and transformation rather than reactions and ridicule.

Trainer: Rev. Jeremy Smith is a United Methodist Elder serving as Minister of Discipleship at First United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon. He blogs about faith, young clergy issues, technology, internet theory, and geeky topics at HackingChristianity.net.

 

Kristina-GonzalezCommunicating Across Difference

Who is your audience?  Are your messages received, and received as you expect? Are you sending unintended messages through your visuals or examples?  Understanding some key cultural dimensions of communication can spark your imagination and invigorate your messaging. Come explore !

Trainer: Kristina Gonzalez serves as the Director of Leadership Development for an Inclusive Church for the PNW Conference.

 

Caitlin_CongdonCommunications Strategy (UMCom)

The creation of a strategic plan for your church helps improve how you communicate with and impact the people you want to reach for the Kingdom.  It will also allow you the opportunity to ensure you are being good stewards of church resources (time, energy, money, people, facilities), ensuring they are working together for your church to be most effective.

During this workshop, we will cover the tools to plan, build, and launch a successful online strategy that helps people connect with your church in a new way. By engaging your audience online first, you extend your reach beyond Sunday services and expose your audience to your message before they visit your church.

Trainer: Caitlin Congdon is the Director of Communications Training and Development at United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN.

 

pnw_jesseDesigning with Purpose: Using graphic design to tell your church’s story

How do you define good graphic design?  How is your church utilizing your visual gifts and resources to support your local ministries?  What are some easy steps to develop your church’s visual messages for impact and effectiveness?

Join us as we DISCUSS, CRITIQUE, and APPLY practical ways to visually enhance your communications ministry!

Recommended: Bring in samples of church bulletins, posters, and laptops/mobile devices to view examples for discussion.

Trainer: Jesse N. Love serves as the graphic designer and print manager for the PNW Conference producing Channels (Magazine) for us. He invites you to Design with Purpose!

 

scrivenFacebook like you mean it: Using your Facebook page to tell your church’s story

Managing a Facebook page isn’t as easy as it looks. It is a task made even harder when we lack needed clarity in who we are, and in what we are trying to say to the world.

In this workshop we’ll discuss the art of managing a Facebook page as an ongoing conversation. We’ll consider the importance of defining our dialogue partners, consistency in voice and practice, and in creating and curating content that complements our goals.

Recommended:  Email Patrick before the training if you have specific questions you’d like addressed and bring a laptop/mobile device if you’d like to work along.

Trainer: Patrick Scriven serves as the Director of Communications for the PNW Conference. He also blogs at and curates content on Facebook for after.church.

 

Ray-buckley-sqRoots and Cuttings: Tapping into Transformative Story

How do we recognize and articulate deep, rooting stories?  How do we affirm those stories of faith, culture, and experience, while living
into new ones? As individuals, communities, and transitioning leaders/communities, the deep stories enable us to know ourselves; continually growing and changing.

In this workshop we’ll explore these questions and consider how they can empower our own storytelling with new awareness.

Trainer: Ray Buckley is the interim Director of the Center for Native American Spirituality and Christian Study. His stories, poetry, and art have appeared in numerous journals, periodicals, books, and museums. (Full Bio)

 

Storytelling for Change: Using images to tell your story

You have likely heard the phrase a picture says a thousand words. The right image or video can indeed communicate so very much. A powerful image can bring people together, inspire concern and generosity, and leave an impression in a way words simply can’t. And a poorly chosen one can set you back the same.

In this workshop we’ll explore the church’s use of imagery in telling our story. We’ll look at the examples of the past and consider both present and future as well.

Trainer: Rev. Paul Jeffrey is confused about whether he is a writer or a photographer. In such a chronically conflicted state he works as a photojournalist for the mission agency of The United Methodist Church. Learn more about Paul and see some of his work HERE!

 

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