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So you’re just dying to get to Granger, Indiana this summer for a workshop, but it’s not in your budget. You’ve got a few burning questions to ask and want them answered by someone in your ministry field. The answer? Webinars.

These FREE one-hour, online sessions with a Granger ministry leader will be open to up to 100 people per session. You’ll need a computer with speakers and high-speed internet access. The price is $0, but you still have to register so we can send you instructions on how to access the webinar when it’s time. The hour will fly by, but bring one or two questions you’re wanting to ask, and be prepared to enjoy some Q & A and learn from others’ questions.

Webinars that will be available, starting August 7:

  • Series Development and Programming – August 7
  • Communications (Prioritization) – August 28
  • Student Ministry – September 11
  • Kids’ Ministry – September 25
  • Developing Guest Services Culture & Training Volunteers – October 9
  • Multisite – October 23
  • Human Resources – November 6
  • Finance – November 20
Register now. See you online!

by Mark Waltz, Pastor of Connections and MultiSite

Don’t go out of your way to pat volunteers on the back. They’re doing exactly what they should be doing—giving their life away. They should be sacrificing. They should be tired. Don’t acknowledge or celebrate them. The last thing you need is puffed up volunteers.

Some would claim this is biblical. I’m not sure what Bible they’re reading. The scriptures teach gratitude, mutual respect and personal value. It’s how Jesus lived his life. It’s how Paul encouraged the Church.

Live by this worst practice and you’ll be looking for volunteers—’cause they’ll be G.O.N.E.

Hear more from Mark about the importance of using volunteers to create great First Impressions in your church at his workshop at Granger on Friday, July 11. Register your team now for this or any of the workshops coming up next week:

Friday, July 11, 2014

Saturday, July 12, 2014

by Kem Meyer, Communications Director

I first became aware of your work back in 2007, just after Granger made headlines for the “PureSex” series promotion, which included some suggestive billboards around town. Some people said you went too far with that. How do you know when to go big, to push the envelope; and when to keep things a little more subtle?

There’s no simple answer for this question—and I get this question a lot. Speaking the language of our culture is always going to take us into places of uncomfortable tension because we have the burden of knowledge and desire for purity. And, like every topic under the sun, there will be liberal and conservative debates about it. But, I think it’s worth the risk and you have to find where your own personal conviction lies. It’s different for every church and maybe even different for each pastor on staff at the same church.

Last year, we did a series called “Sex for Sale” and we were fine with it. No moral conflict whatsoever. Ironically enough, the series won us hate mail and phone calls from people who called us evil and corrupt and reported us to the Attorney General and Better Business Bureau. (I kid you not.)

I don’t fear the wrath of what other church people think about the risks we take. Instead, I fear the thought of people who will live an eternity without experiencing Christ. Sometimes, we have to lower the bar so someone can accept the invitation to a higher bar. (I stole that line from John Burke.)

(Excerpt from Ministry Matters Interview | 4 in series of 6)

Our One-Day Workshops are happening this Friday and Saturday. These are intense and focused, interactive learning environments that your whole team can take advantage of. Get away for one day and join us at Granger Commons on Friday, April 25 to learn more about First Impressions, Communications and Kids’ Ministry. Then stay with your team for the Arts All-Access workshop on Saturday, April 26 where you’ll go behind the scenes and attend the Saturday night service.

Did you know WiredChurches hosts workshops twice a year, led by world-class leaders in a variety of fields? And did you know they are a quick, affordable way to strengthen and inspire entire teams of people in one day? And did you also know we have a fresh batch of them coming next month?

It’s true! Now you know. Here’s what we have coming up in April—click the thumbnails for more information on each one:


Learn how to make great first impressions with the guests (old and new)
who walk in the doors of your church.


Have your message be heard loud and clear in every deliverable—
through what people read, touch or click.


From birth through fifth grade, a healthy kids’ ministry can have an enormous
impact on the children and families in our communities.


Go behind the scenes with Granger’s creative and production arts teams
to experience a download of Granger’s creative process and structure.

The First Impressions, Communications and Kids’ Ministry Workshops are one-day events that run from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. on Fridays. The Arts All-Access is a Saturday workshop, from 10 a.m.–6:10 p.m. Lunch will be provided for all workshops. So come with your team on Friday and stay for Saturday’s All-Access event, which includes attending a Saturday evening service. All events are held on the Granger Community Church Campus at Granger Commons near South Bend, IN, just 90 miles east of Chicago and five miles east of the University of Notre Dame.

by Kem Meyer, Communications Director

Aside from “clutter and noise,” what are some of the major pitfalls many churches run into in their communications?

Ah, easy. The ministry silos. You’ve seen it: the missions department does its own thing. The student leaders do their own thing. The women’s ministry does its own thing. And the pattern repeats throughout the whole church. The result? Individual departments end up competing against each other with a carnival communication style trying to out-yell or out-explain.

If we each serve up a different experience, run off in our own individual directions—information gets lost or isolated. People and projects proliferate—as does confusion. This creates real liabilities for the church as a whole and puts a lid on overall impact.

A lot of churches acknowledge it’s a problem, but find it too exhausting to tackle. It’s simply easier to just ignore silos and let people do their own thing. The only way to resolve these types of issues is to connect multiple areas to operate as part of a larger family. Some examples:

  • One mission statement. If everyone is working toward the same goal, there will be less territorialism and more teamwork.
  • One budget. There are different categories for each ministry, but one church budget.
  • One database. A single version of reality—reports and contacts.
  • One URL. One church, multiple ministries. Not the other way around. A house has one front door—so should your web site.

(Excerpt from Ministry Matters Interview | 6 in series of 6)

And if you’d like to get more of Kem’s practical training for your Communications team, sign up today for her one-day workshop in April!

Click the graphic below to see the full postcard (at a size that's easier on the eyes):

Fall 2013 Coaching Postcard

Get more information, and register for a coaching experience that could change the trajectory of your ministry at WiredChurches.com.

TOMORROW, April 12, you have an opportunity to match principles with real life examples. Curious how to gain…
  • a fresh perspective and some new ideas about how to craft communications so you can release the right response? (Less clutter. Less Noise. with Kem Meyer)
  • hands-on training that will empower paid and unpaid wow-makers to make great first impressions? (First Impressions with Mark Waltz)
  • insight into developing a kids' program that impacts the future of children and families in your community? (Kids' Ministry: From Leading to Legos with Ted Bryant)

Invest in this one-day learning retreat. You deserve some specific and practical encouragement. As a matter of fact, grab one or two teammates and bring them along to make the day even better. Kem, Mark and Ted will be here. And so will many others who have signed up to be here, too. Hope you can join us.

Get all the specifics and register now—it's not too late!

by Kem Meyer, Communications Director

We went live recently with a new GCCwired.com. Here are three things you may not know about this launch: 

  1. Old friends and the little website that could. We had the same web site for nine years. NINE years. That’s really saying something considering it was built before smart phones, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. And the real miracle is that it was still working—integrating with new technologies and media like a boss. It was the little web site that could. We are so grateful for our partnership and tremendous run with the team at Aspire!One. How did they DO it? Those guys are amazing and we still look to them for counsel, creative approaches and new project ideas. 
  2. New friends and new challenges. The new GCCwired.com is not just a new web site. It’s a launch that accelerates our 2016 vision to help our people Be the Church, Activate the Campus and Reproduce at Every Level. First we launched the Early Learning Center, then The Commons, then The Eatery, Reads & Things, then the LaPorte campus and now THIS! We’re changing paradigms and couldn’t do it without the help we’ve received from Plain Joe Studios. We are venturing into places we’ve never been before and they have been like new creative, technology and strategy sherpas. 
  3. We’re live but we’re not done. Just like we started using our physical environments before all construction was 100% complete, we will do the same with our online environment. It’s 80% complete and now it’s time to let traffic start flowing through the space. This last 20% is a crucial step in the development process. We get to see how people use it. If things work like we anticipate. What needs adjusted. What bugs are hiding. We know people are going to find things and we’re loving the feedback already. This is where it gets fun.

If you're looking for practical help with the launch of your own website, or just need to revamp your organization's communication strategies, grab a copy of Kem's book, Less Clutter. Less Noise. If you're not sure, you can download a free chapter—because we believe that when you help clear the path, you help people take their next step toward Christ.