The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

Jaksot

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  The State Of Church Social Media In 2026 16.09.2026 38min

  Churches have never published more content on more platforms. So why does everything feel harder? Today, we'll unpack the state of church social media in 2026 - what the latest reporting says, and what it means for your church online. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - 1. We've Reached Peak Content 9:53 - 2. Short-Form Is for Discovery, Not Depth 13:13 - 3. Social Media Is Becoming Search 21:25 - 4. Your Follower Count Matters Less 22:58 - 5. YouTube Is Still the Main Event 25:53 - 6. God Is Not Dead - Neither Is Facebook? 31:36 - The Changing Landscape of Social Media 34:49 - What's Coming Next THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ALL CITATIONS METRICOOL - "2026 TikTok Study" — PRIMARY https://metricool.com/press-release-tiktok-study-2026/ - "2026 Social Media Study" — PRIMARY https://metricool.com/press-release-2026-social-media-study/ - "2026 YouTube Study" — PRIMARY https://metricool.com/press-release-youtube-study-2026/ SPROUT SOCIAL - "2026 Influencer Marketing Report" — PRIMARY https://sproutsocial.com/insights/press/new-research-finds-influencer-reach-is-no-longer-tied-to-follower-count/ - "Q2 2025 Pulse Survey" (2025) — PRIMARY https://investors.sproutsocial.com/news/news-details/2025/New-Research-from-Sprout-Social-Finds-Social-Media-is-the-Top-Place-Gen-Z-Turns-to-for-Search-Surpassing-Traditional-Search-Engines/default.aspx PEW RESEARCH CENTER - "Americans' Social Media Use 2025" (November 20, 2025) — PRIMARY https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/ ABOUT ME Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
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  Small Churches vs. Big Churches: Who Makes Better Disciples? 09.09.2026 34min

  Smaller church, deeper discipleship - right? Lifeway surveyed 2,130 Protestant churchgoers, and both extremes came out on top. Today, we'll unpack the church-size discipleship paradox, and why being in a group matters more than church size. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:46 - The Methodology - 8 Signposts of Discipleship 3:38 - 1. Both Extremes Win 7:08 - 2. Small Churches Have Relational Gravity 7:53 - 3. Small Churches Still Have Blind Spots 13:27 - 4. Large Churches Build Discipleship Infrastructure 15:39 - 5. Groups Matter More Than Size 18:14 - The Seafood Boil - Deep Knowing Relationships 23:23 - 6. Different Sizes Need Different Mechanisms 27:37 - 7. Every Church Can Borrow From the Other Extreme 31:19 - 8. Size Is Context, Not Destiny THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com  JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer  🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ALL CITATIONS LIFEWAY RESEARCH - "Smallest, Largest Churches See Strongest Discipleship Scores" (August 2026, n=2,130) — PRIMARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/08/25/smallest-largest-churches-see-strongest-discipleship-scores/ - "Discipleship Deficit Exists Among U.S. Churchgoers" (January 2026) — PRIMARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/01/27/discipleship-deficit-exists-among-u-s-churchgoers/ BOOKS REFERENCED - Henri Nouwen, "The Return of the Prodigal Son" ABOUT ME Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
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  Most Pastors Lead Small Churches. Most People Don't Attend One. 02.09.2026 36min

  7 in 10 American churches are under 100 people. Yet over half of churchgoers worship in churches of 500 or more. Today, we'll unpack American Christianity's two competing versions of "normal" - and what small, large, and mid-sized churches should do about it. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 2:04 - The Math Behind the Paradox 3:23 - Two Different Versions of Normal 10:25 - Trained Big, Hired Small 12:19 - Big Churches Set the Standard 19:47  - Growth Feeds Growth 21:26 - Scale Makes Room for Everyone 22:50 - Small Churches Win on Commitment 24:47  - The Middle Gets Squeezed 29:30 - Big Churches Control the Story 31:12 - Final Thoughts IMPORTANT LINKS Church Chaos Episode 4: https://youtu.be/ToD6BaY7ssk THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com  JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer  🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ALL CITATIONS LIFEWAY RESEARCH - "1 in 6 Protestant Churchgoers Attend Megachurches" (August 2026) — SECONDARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/08/12/1-in-6-protestant-churchgoers-attend-megachurches/ - "Smallest, Largest Churches See Strongest Discipleship Scores" (August 2026, n=2,130) — PRIMARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/08/25/smallest-largest-churches-see-strongest-discipleship-scores/ HARTFORD INSTITUTE FOR RELIGION RESEARCH - "Megachurch Resurgence" (June 2026) — PRIMARY https://hirr.hartfordinternational.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Megachurch-Resurgence.pdf NATIONAL SURVEY OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS - "Clergy in America" (2025 report, n=1,600 clergy) — PRIMARY https://static1.squarespace.com/static/65417aab75d81771950d332f/t/67cb42e5cad1c1762527f317/1741374184941/NSRL-report-2025-clergy-in-america.pdf ABOUT ME Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
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  We Put 8 Popular Church Trends on Trial 26.08.2026 41min

  Many churches are borrowing the same trends: 360 stages, LED walls, AI artwork, sermon series rebrands. Some push mission forward. Most just recycle. Today, we'll put each one on trial and deliver a verdict: keep it, kill it, or reinvent it. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:12 - The 360-Degree Stage 10:01 - The Pyramid Projector 16:19 - Cinematic Sermon Reels 21:49 - The Rage Bait Interview Trend 26:04 - A New Visual Identity for Every Sermon Series 31:25 - LED Walls as the Stage Centerpiece 34:23 - AI-Generated Artwork 39:31 - Trendy Typefaces That Sacrifice Readability THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  The Central Hub Strategy For Churches [Building Block #7] 19.08.2026 43min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4bSjIZf Ask how to sign up for an event and you'll get five different answers. Fewer options equals more action. Today, we'll unpack the series capstone - one destination for every next step - and the steps to launch yours. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 2:53 - The 7 Building Blocks 6:20 - Where This Philosophy Came From 9:20 - Building Block #7: Launch Your Central Hub 17:03 - Testimonies From Real Churches 20:38 - How Movie Theaters Get This Right 24:28 - The Three Rules Of The Central Hub 33:27 - The Physical On-ramp 40:06 - Final Thoughts IMPORTANT LINKS GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4bSjIZf The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks The Church Communications Masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNv9BoDzQ The Launcher: https://www.nucleus.church/the-launcher THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  The Church Announcements Formula [Building Block #6] 12.08.2026 53min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/3U2rdXm   If your announcements are just dates, times, locations, logistics, the room quietly tunes out. Information doesn't move people; inspiration does. Today, we'll unpack the formula that fixes church announcements for good - one story, one next step - then rewrite real ones live. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:08 - 7 Building Blocks Recap 6:53 - Building Block #6: The Church Announcements Formula 10:20 - Why Lead With One Story? 19:29 - One Next Step 22:07 - Different Types of Stories 23:36 - Example #1 33:44 - Example #2 45:22 - Example #3 52:11 - Final Thoughts IMPORTANT LINKS - Get Your Chaos Score: https://prochur.ch/3U2rdXm - The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks - The Church Communications Masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNv9BoDzQ CITATIONS Robert H. Stein - "The Method and Message of Jesus' Teachings" (35% of Jesus' teaching in the synoptic Gospels uses story) National Library of Medicine - "Why Inspiring Stories Make Us React: The Neuroscience of Narrative"  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4445577/ THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com  JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  The New Church Bulletin Design [Building Block #5] 05.08.2026 30min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/3T8zQzz The more you announce, the less they listen. But every ministry you turn down walks away feeling like their event doesn't matter. Today, we'll unpack the weekly bulletin - one place where everything gets seen without stealing a second of Sunday. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 3:11 - The 7 Building Blocks 4:30 - Building Block #5: Create the Weekly Bulletin 7:04 - Why Did The "Old" Weekly Bulletin Fail? 10:34 - Setting Up The Digital Bulletin 17:58 - The Reason The Bulletin Works 24:23 - How To Promote The Digital Bulletin 28:21 - Final Thoughts IMPORTANT LINKS - Get Your Chaos Score: https://prochur.ch/3T8zQzz - The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks - The Church Communications Masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNv9BoDzQ THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com  JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ABOUT ME Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
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  The Church Event Promotions Playbook [Building Block #4] 29.07.2026 43min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/3TNrMnO Your biggest event gets under-promoted. A tiny ministry floods the feed - because one passionate leader pushed hard. Today, we'll unpack the playbooks that answer "how will my event get promoted?" before anyone asks - what channels, what timing, what assets. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:27 - The 7 Building Blocks 4:00 - Building Block #4: Supply Promotions Playbooks 7:50 - Step 1 - Take Inventory of Every Channel 14:14 - Step 2 - Define Your Promo Formats 14:44 - Sprinkle Promos 16:43 - Sprint Promos 17:52 - Smuggle Promos 20:38 - Equipping Leaders With the Promotions Playbooks 26:52 - Example Promotional Playbook for Level 1 41:27 - Final Thoughts IMPORTANT LINKS - Get Your Chaos Score: https://prochur.ch/3TNrMnO - The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks - The Church Communications Masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNv9BoDzQ THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com  JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer  🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ABOUT ME Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
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  The Secret Weapon of Church Communications [Building Block #3] 22.07.2026 43min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4ylExWR Announce everything, and people tune out. Cut back, and entire ministries vanish. Today, we'll unpack Building Block #3 - giving every ministry a home so visibility no longer depends on stage time - with real examples from churches already running it. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 6:25 - Building Block #3: Give Each Ministry A Home 9:11 - Real Church Testimony 10:36 - What is a Post Collection? 20:20 - The SEO benefit of Post Collections in an AI-Search world 22:30 - Examples from outside the church world 23:49 - Organizing your communications 25:26 - Alex's Post Collections 27:07 - Small Group Post Collections 29:42 - How this play into The 7 Building Blocks? 31:40 - Why are we doing Free Church Communications Makeovers? 37:04 - Do Post Collections work outside of Nucleus? 38:06 - The Secret Post Collection You'll Love IMPORTANT LINKS - Get Your Chaos Score: https://prochur.ch/4ylExWR - Free Communications Makeover: https://www.makeover.church - The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks - The Church Communications Masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNv9BoDzQ - Life Abundant Post Hub: https://www.lifeabundant.info/posts - Nucleus Posts Demo: https://life-demo.nucleus.church/posts THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ABOUT ME Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
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  The Rulebook For Church Communications [Building Block #2] 15.07.2026 50min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4fyiowP   More announcements. More stage time. More reminders. That's how most churches try to get people to listen - but across the audits we've run, the average service crams in 7 announcements and points people to 8.7 different destinations, and the more we say, the less they hear. Today, we'll install Building Block #2: a six-part publish policy that decides what your church says from stage, where every promo points, and how to move people from awareness to action. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 5:01 - Recap of Building Block #1 5:57 - Building Block #2: Publish Policy 8:24 - Policy Item #1: Awareness Is Not Interest 16:35 - Policy Item #2: Sunday Is Not Your Savior 18:48 - Policy Item #3: The More You Announce, the Less They Listen 25:35 - Policy Item #4: Inspiration Over Information 38:49 - Policy Item #5: One Destination for Every Promo 43:26 - Policy Item #6: Values Dictate Voice   IMPORTANT LINKS - GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4fyiowP - The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks - The Church Communications Masterclass: https://youtu.be/aETNv9BoDzQ   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ABOUT ME Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
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  Church Communications 101: The 7 Building Blocks 08.07.2026 44min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4p2CGSk Sunday announcements drag. Too many events, too much competition for attention, ministries quietly fighting to be heard from the stage. But the problem isn't effort - it's the lack of a system underneath. This is The 7 Building Blocks, our summer blueprint for fixing church communications, and today we start with Block 1: assigning a level to every ministry. We'll break down the four communication levels and audit two real churches to show you exactly what no hierarchy sounds like from the stage. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 0:37 - Why Churches Struggle with Communications 2:46 - The 3 Problems of Church Communications 8:02 - The 7 Building Blocks 9:53 - Building Block #1: Assign Levels To Every Ministry 16:21 - Church Announcement Example #1  35:43 - Church Announcement Example #2  IMPORTANT LINKS - Get Your Chaos Score (Free 38-Point Diagnostic): https://prochur.ch/4p2CGSk - The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks - The Church Communications Masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNv9BoDzQ THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com  JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  Great vs. Average: A Church Announcement Workshop 01.07.2026 34min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://churchchaos.com/   Most church announcements are forgettable. In this episode, we take a real one and rebuild it live - showing what separates average from great, step by step.   Turn average church announcements into clear, compelling moments that actually move people to action.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 5:39 - Version 1: Information 9:46 - Version 2: Information + Values 16:37 - Version 3: Information + Values + Voice 23:39 - Version 4: Information + Values + Voice + People 28:03 - Version 5: Inspiration + Values + Voice + People   IMPORTANT LINKS - Church Chaos Index: https://churchchaos.com/   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  Sprint, Sprinkle, Smuggle: How to Promote Anything at Church 24.06.2026 39min

  GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://churchchaos.com/   Church promotions can start to sound the same - repetitive, predictable, and easy to ignore. Today, we'll show you three better approaches - Sprint, Sprinkle, and Smuggle - so your announcements drive action without sounding like promotions.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 2:40 - The No Promo Code 6:30 - Sprinkle Promotions 17:53 - Sprint 28:13 - Smuggle 34:20 - When To Use Which   IMPORTANT LINKS - Church Chaos Index: https://churchchaos.com/ - The Church Communications Masterclass:    THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  1 in 3 Christians Trust AI as Much as Their Pastor (Now What?) 17.06.2026 40min

  Get the AI Policy Template: https://prochur.ch/4cZowNq   30% of practicing Christians say AI is as trustworthy as a pastor for spiritual advice - closer to 40% among younger generations. And many are already using it for prayer and spiritual growth.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 0:56 - The Barna Data 4:47 - Why This Is (and Isn't) as Alarming as It Sounds 11:00 - What Your Church Should Do About It 17:33 - AI POLICY   IMPORTANT LINKS - AI Policy Template: https://prochur.ch/4cZowNq - Barna Group, "State of the Church 2026: Key Trends Shaping Faith": https://bit.ly/4elW7Cz - Christian Post, "A third of Christians trust spiritual advice from AI as much as pastor": https://bit.ly/4vKdQcN - Christian Post, "Most pastors use AI, some worry it could replace their guidance": https://bit.ly/4cqVO7V   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  Nobody Trusts Your Pastor Anymore (The Numbers Are Ugly) 10.06.2026 32min

  In 1985, 67% of Americans rated pastors high in honesty and ethics. Today? Just 27% - and only 17% among those under 35. It's one of the steepest trust declines of any profession. The question isn't if this affects your church - it does. The question is what you do about it.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:15 - The Numbers Are Worse Than You Think 3:38 - Why This Happened 13:18 - How to Rebuild Trust Through Communications   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer   ALL CITATIONS - Gallup, "Honesty and Ethics" Survey (December 2025, n=1,016, nationally representative sample) — PRIMARY. 27% rate clergy "high/very high" in honesty and ethics (historic low); down from 67% in 1985 and ~56% average in the 2000s; largest trust decline (−29 points) among tracked professions; generational breakdown: 55+ (38%), 35–54 (~24%), under 35 (17%). - Lifeway Research, "Americans' Trust in Pastors Hits Historic Low" (January 2026) — SECONDARY (analysis of Gallup data). Confirms generational trust gaps and historic decline. https://research.lifeway.com/2026/01/16/americans-trust-in-pastors-hits-historic-low/ - Christian Post, "Americans Rank Clergy at Record Low in Honesty and Ethics Ratings" — SECONDARY (summary/reporting on Gallup findings). https://www.christianpost.com/news/americans-rank-clergy-at-record-low-in-honesty-and-ethics-ratings.html - PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute), "Religious Change in America" (2024) — PRIMARY. Clergy sexual abuse scandals cited as a reason for leaving religion increased from 19% (2016) to 39% (2024). - PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute), "Health of Congregations" (2024) — PRIMARY. 34% of former evangelicals cite scandals as a reason for leaving; 45% among former Catholics. - Pew Research Center, "Why Do Some Americans Leave Their Religion While Others Stay?" (December 2025) — PRIMARY. 50% of religiously unaffiliated ("nones") don't like religious organizations; 49% don't trust religious leaders. - Gallup, "Confidence in Institutions" (2025 update) — PRIMARY. Confidence in the church as an institution increased from 31% (2022 low) to 36% (2025), indicating a modest rebound despite declining trust in clergy.
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  People Are Asking ChatGPT to Find Them a Church. Are You Showing Up? 03.06.2026 35min

  Here's what's already happening - a family moves to a new city and asks ChatGPT for church recommendations instead of Googling. Seconds later, they get a curated list they trust.   So the question is - is your church on it? Today, we're giving you a simple 5-step checklist to make sure you show up in this new era of search.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 0:51 - The Shift Is Happening, But Let's Get the Data Right 7:12 - How AI Decides Which Churches to Recommend 13:55 - The 5-Step Church AI Visibility Checklist 21:06 - What This Means for Your Website Strategy   IMPORTANT LINKS - ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ - Claude: https://claude.ai/ - Superprompt: https://superprompt.com/ - Technical SEO: https://bit.ly/4sn5IfC - Practicing the Way: https://www.practicingtheway.org/   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer ALL CITATIONS   - SSRS/Edison Research, "AI User Metrics" (February 2026, probability-based national panel, ~1,000 U.S. adults) — PRIMARY. 52% weekly AI usage.   - Orbit Media, "AI-Search Adoption Survey" (March 2026, survey of digital professionals) — PRIMARY (but industry-specific sample, not general population). 55% AI chat as primary/frequent research tool; 24% prefer AI for local queries (down from 26%); 25.7% of marketers developing AI-specific content.   - OpenAI — ChatGPT 800M weekly users (2026).   - Superprompt.com, "AI Search Traffic Converts 5x Better Than Google" (2025, analysis of 12M visits across 350+ businesses) — PRIMARY but vendor study with commercial interest. 14.2% vs. 2.8% conversion comparison. E-commerce/SaaS data, not church-specific.   - Princeton University, "Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Research" (peer-reviewed) — PRIMARY. Up to 40% increase in AI visibility (measures visibility in AI responses, not click-throughs or real-world conversions).   - TechnicalSEO.com, "Schema Markup Generator Tool" — PRACTICAL RESOURCE. https://technicalseo.com/tools/schema-markup-generator/  
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  Father's Day at Church 2026: Fresh Ideas 27.05.2026 29min

  Most Father's Day services fall into the same tired clichés. So in this episode, we share simple, fresh ideas your church can actually use - no stereotypes required.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 4:30 - Idea #1: First Father's Day 12:48 - Idea #2: Letters From Kids, Sealed For Next Year 14:46 - Idea #3: One Story, Multiple Parts 19:29 - Idea #4: The Grandfather's Blessing 24:28 - Idea #5: The Anonymous Dad Survey   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  Stop Promoting Church Small Groups Like This 20.05.2026 26min

  Today we're unpacking a different approach to getting people into small groups - backed by national data so you can see where your church stands. We'll also walk through a simple exercise to identify who isn't joining and why.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:38 - THE BENCHMARK (Know Your Number) 6:45 - THE PHILOSOPHY (Groups as the Ultimate Value) 9:26 - THE PERSONAS (Know Who You're Talking To) 14:12 - THE GROUP TYPES (Broaden the Definition) 20:08 - THE CAMPAIGNS (Sprint vs. Sprinkle)   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  13 Church Social Posts for Summer (steal these) 13.05.2026 35min

  Today - 13 summer social media post ideas your church can actually use. Real formats you can copy, with examples ready to drop into your calendar. If you're stuck or repeating yourself, this will help.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:11 - Church Summer Bucket List 3:33 - Come With Me... 10:46 - B-Roll Inspo 16:23 - The 'Stance' Post 20:22 - Summer Event Photo Dump 22:00 - Happy Birthday To Pastor 23:04 - The "What Our Pastor Actually Does in Summer" Post 24:23 - Mic Someone Up On Sunday / Who Volunteers At VBS 27:40 - "This Or That" Summer Edition 31:04 - Summer Reading Recommendations 32:58 - The "Caption This" Post 33:40 - The "Best Summer Moments" Recap Carousel   IMPORTANT LINKS - Church Social Media Audit: https://auditmychurch.com/   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
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  Why Young People Leave Churches (New Data) 06.05.2026 41min

  Is it the worship? Politics? Programs? That's what we tend to blame. But new data from Pew and PRRI - covering 80,000+ respondents - points to a very different primary reason people leave. Today, we'll unpack what the data actually says, why common assumptions fall short, and what churches can do in response.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 3:39 - The #1 Reason People Leave - They Stopped Believing 10:05 - The Quiet Exit - Drift, Not Drama 16:07 - Childhood Experience Is the Strongest Predictor of Whether Someone Stays 29:50 - Scandals and Institutional Distrust 36:49 - Big Takeaways   IMPORTANT LINKS - The Gen Z Church Communication Playbook: https://youtu.be/zQnhOKlV91Q - People Complained Our Church Was Too Loud. So We Did This: https://youtu.be/4ij1tR-EMHE   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer   ALL CITATIONS PEW RESEARCH CENTER - "Why Do Some Americans Leave Their Religion While Others Stay?" (December 2025, n=8,937 ATP + n=36,908 RLS) — PRIMARY https://pewrsr.ch/3NATWA3 - "Religion Holds Steady in America" (December 2025) — PRIMARY https://pewrsr.ch/4bLrZ1y - "Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off" — Religious Landscape Study (February 2025, n=36,908) — PRIMARY https://pewrsr.ch/4bZp7Nm   PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute) - "Religious Change in America" (March 2024, n=40,000+ via American Values Atlas) — PRIMARY https://bit.ly/4s6Y2xM - "Exodus: Why Americans Are Leaving Religion—and Why They're Unlikely to Come Back" (2016 baseline data) — PRIMARY https://bit.ly/3PGWdu1 - "Religion and Congregations in a Time of Social and Political Upheaval" / Health of Congregations survey (2024) — PRIMARY https://bit.ly/4tjNAUC - "Unveiling the Exodus: Americans' Reasons for Leaving Religious Traditions" (2024) — PRIMARY https://bit.ly/3PRRy8z   SURVEY CENTER ON AMERICAN LIFE / AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE - "Young Women Are Leaving Church in Unprecedented Numbers" (2024) — PRIMARY https://bit.ly/4chJXZK - Note: This is an AEI project, not PRRI — frequently conflated in church media.   PRRI CENSUS OF AMERICAN RELIGION (2024) - Substack analysis by Melissa Deckman (PRRI CEO) — SECONDARY analysis of primary PRRI data https://bit.ly 3PK3I3k