Jim Gray Online

Here’s a fun interview I did with my friend ( and author of the Church of Facebook )  Jesse Rice.

Jim Gray Interviews Jesse Rice from Mission Igniter on Vimeo.

I’m constantly looking for new tools for measure and tracking social media campaigns.  Yesterday, I had coffee in NW Portland with my friend Josh .  He told me about Viralheat.

After watching the video I’m thinking about taking it for a test-run? Maybe you are looking for something like this, too?  Check it out!

Some friends of mine at Epipheo Studios made this video:

“A while ago the guys at Metaweb came to us because they said that it was taking them 45 minutes to explain their product. Well, we got it down to three and a half. As it turns out, so many people liked their product that a little company named google decided to buy it.”

Today my friend Tim Schraeder announced his new e-book project “Outspoken:Conversations on Church Communications”

While there are a number of great books and resources available for church communications directors, they often offer a very narrow or limited view of what can be an intricate subject. Church communications is now a wide umbrella that encompasses a broad range of disciplines including print, media, branding, design, web, social media, online communities, and much more.

The need is great but solid resources are few and far between.

The e-book will feature over 50 friends including:

Kem Meyer – Granger Community Church
Dawn Nicole Baldwin – AspireOne
Greg Atkinson – gregatkinson.com
Michael Buckingham – Holy Cow! Creative
Shawn Wood – Seacoast Church
Scott Hodge – The Orchard
Ben Arment – Story, Whiteboard Sessions, Dream Year
Leonard Sweet – best-selling author, professor at Drew University
Phil Cooke – author of Branding Faith
Tony Morgan – TonyMorganLive.com
Jon Acuff – Stuff Christians Like
Will Mancini – auxano, author of Church Unique
Tony Steward – LifeChurch.tv
Charles Lee – Ideation
Cynthia Ware – Center for Church Communication
Blaine Hogan – Willow Creek Community Church
Daniel Decker – Higher Level Group
John Dyer- donteatthefruit.com
Rhett Smith – RhettSmith.com
Scott McClellan – COLLIDE Magazine
Katie Strandlund – CautiousCreative.com
Jason Widney – Park Community Church
Matt Knisely – Lawton First Assembly
Nathan Davis – Destiny Christian Center
Phil Bowdle- West Ridge Church
Jesse Phillips – CATALYST
Kent Shaffer- ChurchRelevance.com, YouVersion.com
Katie Moon – Fellowship Church
Kevin Hendricks – Center for Church Communication
Corbyn Tyson – monvee, Heartland Community Church
Curtis Simmons – Fellowship Technologies
Eric Murrell – Long Hollow Baptist Church, MediaSalt.com
Cleve Persinger – The Chapel, MediaSalt.com
Matthew Paul Turner – JesusNeedsNewPR.com

I’m just getting started!

John Saddington – North Point Ministries
Jay Argaèt – Hillsong Church
Maurilio Amorim – The A Group
Danielle Hartland - Grace Church
Jim Gray – Mission Igniter
Lori Bailey – LifeChurch.tv
Vin Thomas – VINTOM.com
Justin Wise – BeDeviant.com
Sam DuRegger – theomusings.com
Blair Farley – Mariners Church
Jeremy Scheller – The Sanctuary Covenant Church
Jan Lynn – TheViewfromHer.com
Steve Fogg – Crossway Church
Clint! Runge – Archrival
Jennifer Schuchmann – WordstoThinkAbout.com
Kerry Burall – The Resonate Group
Jeremy Sexton – National Community Church
Michael Forsberg – Jarbyco
Bobby Chandler - Sugar Creek Baptist Church
Vince Marotte – Gateway Church
Denny Weinman – Sugar Creek Baptist Church
Josh Burns – Park Community Church
Dawn Bryant – bloom
KC Walsh – Willow Creek Community Church
Rich Kirkpatrick – Sunridge Community Church
Cameron Smith – Christ’s Church of the Valley
Gerry True – Oak Hills Church
Josh Cody - Center for Church Communication

OUTSPOKEN will be a collection of short essays by each contributor focusing on various areas that encompass church communications. It will offer practical ideas and insights from some of the people who are shaping and changing the way churches communicate. Some faces are familiar, some are new, but they all represent a unique mix of churches and backgrounds that will inspire and challenge you to change the way you do communications.

OUTSPOKEN will be self-published and available for purchase online as a downloadable PDF. Print copies will be available for purchase through Amazon. We’ll also be working to make it available in Kindle and iBook format.

Release date is to be determined, but we’re aiming for early winter.

Proceeds from the sale of OUTSPOKEN will go to support the Center for Church Communication, the parent organization of ChurchMarketingSucks.com and the Church Marketing Lab. CFCC exists to help the church matter and is a resource for church communicators. Churches have the greatest story ever told, but struggle to tell it well. They want to help churches tell it better.

Follow the OUTSPOKEN journey on twitter @OUTSPOKENbook or “Like” it on Facebook to stay up-to-date! Watch for more updates, the website launch and more!

I was introduced to this project during a recent phone conversation with Victor Saad .

The Prop began as a design project in college and inspired a group of friends to dream about the future. A few years later, after encountering a wide range of people doing great things and still being struck by the enormity of global needs, they decided to make those dreams a reality.
The Prop seeks to connect people doing good. Their   first project is to connect everyday creatives with humanitarian organizations. Artists gain a platform for their work and the chance to contribute on a larger scale. Organizations gain resources and awareness for the needs they’re passionate about. They want to do this by empowering you and your community towards action in four ways: Create artwork with organizations in mind, Collaborate with other artists in your community, Celebrate the work of local artists as well the efforts of the organizations through community-based events, parties, auctions, etc. & to contribute the awareness and resources raised to the efforts of great organizations.

Check out their video:

Help them out by voting for them for the Pepsi Refresh Project

1. Get your resume and portfolio in order

2. Create a profile on Linkedin.com , Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and any other social network that might be applicable.

3. Do some good hard research on your potential job-market! Look at internships, non-profits, pro-bono work. Interview as much as possible.  Role play with friends and family for interviews.

4. Reach out to family, friends, Dad and Mom’s connections.  Use the no fear approach.  Ask a CEO to go to coffee to see where you should start.  Talk to the most successful people that you know.

5. Work hard, be creative in the interview process with every step of the way.  Take for instance, my friend Josh Groth and his “Fresh Prince Cover Letter”

What other suggestions do you have for the class of 2010?

Social Media from Luke Frederick on Vimeo.

Sheepish Design websites. Social Media explained.