Day of Blessing

Ben Ferrell — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:32:00 CST

I just returned from Boone, North Carolina, where our friends Steve and Catherine Reese operate Shelter Rock Ministries.

As a valued client of BMCFerrell, we have always believed in them, and been honored to represent this great ministry. But….when you go and roll your sleeves up in one of their events, like I did last month, you will be amazed at what God is doing through Steve and Catherine, and their wonderful staff and volunteers.

I was involved in the Ashe County Day of Blessing. Several hundred parents and children lined up for an admission ticket that entitled them to free games, hot dogs, shoes, clothing, and many other fun activities. I have never seen such smiles come on the faces of some of the children who live daily in oppression, poverty, and want.

I met a man and his wife who had two sons of their own, and were caring for a two year old daughter of a neighbor. The little girl was handicapped, and therefore, rejected by her mother. This dear couple was caring for her as if she was their own. However, they had no money, no car, no job, and were told by the utilities company’s their lights, water, and gas would be turned off within a week. These are the kind of people that Steven and Catherine minister to tirelessly. Their mission field is right here in the United States. The Appalachian Mountains are full of children and families like these.

After the beautiful day outside sharing the love of Jesus and the “goods” with people, we had a service in the community center.

There were songs, dramatic and dance presentations, and then Steven shared the Gospel of Hope with the standing room only audience. I would say at least one half of the people received Christ.

At the end of the service, Steven sat in a chair, and asked the children to line up to come up on the stage. One by one, I saw him look each child in the eyes, and tell them they were special, they were beautiful, and that God had a good plan for them. I wept as I saw Steven lay his hands on their heads, and bless each child. This took a long time.

As the people left, they formed a line with their cars and trucks, and drove through an “assembly line” of blessing.

Bags of groceries, toiletries, and various

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Increasing Your Impact Through the Internet and Online Video

Randy Robison — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:10:00 CST

Internet use and online video viewing continue to increase in the United States. Several recently-released studies reveal some interesting and unexpected results that should impact the way that ministries utilize the web.

US Internet Users and Penetration, 2007-2013 (millions and % of population)
2007 186.9 (62.0%) 2008 192.8 (63.4%) 2009 199.2 (64.8%) 2010 205.3 (66.2%) 2011 210.9 (67.3%) 2012 216.0 (68.3%) 2013 221.1 (69.2%)
Note: an internet user is a person of any age who uses the internet from any location at least once per month Source: eMarketer, October 2008

Online trend analysts “eMarketer” estimates that 63.4% of the US population uses the internet at least once per month. Of the 192.8 million users for 2008, they estimate that 157 million are at least 18 years of age.

Other studies have showed that the gap between users in their 20s and users in the 50s or 60s has nearly closed. So it’s fair to say that of your congregation or donor base, two-thirds of them are online.

Given that fact, you should take advantage of a communications medium that is faster and cheaper than television, radio or direct mail. If you’re not communicating online, you are falling short of your potential to rally support and change lives.

Demographic Profile of US Online Video Streamers, by Segment, June 2008 (% of respondents)
Light (bottom 50%)	Medium (middle 30%)	Heavy (top 20%)
Gender
Male	45%	46%	59%
Female	55%	54%	41%
Age
Permalink \| 1 Comment(s) Victory! How Sweet It Is Ben Ferrell — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:44:00 CDT Congratulations Pastors Bayless and Janet Conley and the Cottonwood Church congregation. Recently, Randal Taylor, Mark Dunn, Eric Millington, and I attended the Grand Opening of the brand new facilities of Cottonwood Church in Cypress, California. What a campus, and what a lesson in determination, perseverance, and sacrifice. A 3,500 seat auditorium, youth building with a cafe, recreation area and 900 seat auditorium, and a 53,000 state of the art children’s building grace the 32 acre site on Katella Avenue. The Sunday grand opening services were a great celebration. Yes, that’s plural. The church already has to have multiple services. There were many townspeople, visitors from the television audience, and dignitaries from the surrounding cities in attendance. The great IRONY of the service was that the Mayor of Cypress presented the church with an award and proclamation. This was the city who tried to take the church’s land by imminent domain! Bayless and Janet were gracious and loving as they received the award! The ten year battle is finally over! Bayless and Janet looked great (see picture). Each talked about how it was God, not man that established these beautiful facilities. They thanked the congregation for being so faithful and for making many sacrifices along the way. Many Pastors and leaders from around the world sent greetings and congratulations via videotape. One of the most impressive things about the event was the gracious hospitality of the congregation. So many church members volunteered to make the event happen. There was a celebration on the grounds after service Sunday night, where 100,s of the Cottonwood Church faithful made is so easy and comfortable for all the visitors to feel at home. What gracious hosts they were. So, friend, remember that whatever vision God gives you for your ministry will come to pass, not from your efforts alone, but from the faithfulness of our Father. Like Bayless and Janet Conley and the entire Cottonwood congregation, you may have to persevere and fight the good fight of faith, but eventually you will see the victory!…and it will be sweet! Permalink The Fairness Doctrine Redux Mark Dunn — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:19:00 CDT Restricting Your Speech in Media Ministry First of a three-part series exploring media reform in the United States with a Democratic President and Congress. What is the Fairness Doctrine? The Fairness Doctrine was introduced in the U.S. in 1949 (Report on Editorializing by Broadcast Licensees, 13 F.C.C. 1246 [1949]). The doctrine remained a matter of general policy and was applied on a case-by-case basis until 1967, when certain provisions of the doctrine were incorporated into FCC regulations. It did not require equal time for opposing views, but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented. The Fairness Doctrine had two basic elements: • Devote airtime to discuss controversial matters of public interest. • Provide contrasting views regarding controversial matters. Stations were given wide latitude as to how to provide contrasting views. It could be done through news segments, public affairs shows or editorials. End of the Fairness Doctrine. Under FCC Chairman Mark S. Fowler, a communications attorney who had served on Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign staff in 1976 and 1980, the commission began to repeal parts of the Fairness Doctrine. In 1985 it was determined that the doctrine hurt the public interest and violated the First Amendment. In August 1987, the FCC abolished the doctrine by a 4-0 vote in the Syracuse Peace Council decision. It was confirmed again by the D.C. Circuit Appeals Court in February 1989. The FCC stated, "the intrusion by government into the content of programming occasioned by the enforcement of [the Fairness Doctrine] restricts the journalistic freedom of broadcasters ... [and] actually inhibits the presentation of controversial issues of public importance to the detriment of the public and the degradation of the editorial prerogative of broadcast journalists," and suggested that the doctrine be deemed unconstitutional due to the many media voices in the marketplace. United States Politics and Possible Reinstatement With upcoming elections in the United States, a reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine is possible. If Democrats win the presidential election, Barak Obama will have the opportunity to appoint the new FCC Chairman. The Fairness Doctrine could be reinstated through administrative action without the need for congressional approval. A simple 3-2 majority under a sympathetic FCC Chairman would bring back the once unconstitutional doctrine. In part 2, find out how a reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine would limit your free speech in your media ministry. Permalink First Class Web Design Andrew Johnson — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:21:00 CDT Today's modern world sports ubiquitous websites among companies and individuals. Everyone either has a website or is feeling pressure to create one. In addition are those who had a website designed during the initial website "boom" and are finding their sites dated and behind the web 2.0 going on 3.0 times. If you desire to create a first-class website, your first and most critical task is to find a good web designer. But, the process of finding a good designer can be a difficult process. There are more aspects at play in modern web design than there used to be. Not only does a development firm need to have a good handle on modern graphic design, it also needs to be technically proficient. The firm must understand what should go on under the hood in order to produce a solid product that will have broad impact and will work under a variety of browsers and devices. Due to the overwhelming growth of the internet market, there has been an equally overwhelming influx of designers who are either not proficient in design or are not capable of tackling the technical requirements of a good website. So, how do you find a good web designer? There are a lot of companies out there which claim to have first-class web design skills, but actually finding a good designer who is able to create a first-class website can be quite difficult. I believe that there are three crucial hoops that a development firm should jump through in order to be classified as a good web designer: Do they have a good reputation in the industry? Do they have a good sense of today’s graphic design? Are they technically efficient enough to produce a first-class design? Do they have a good reputation? In searching for any service company, reputation is crucial. Start with your friends who have websites you like. Find out which web designers they used, and then call them for a client list. Perform your own due diligence. Call and ask those clients whether they are pleased with their websites and if they would recommend the designer to you and why or why not. Do they have a good sense of today’s graphic design? Everyone has different tastes when it comes to design. Find a designer who has tastes similar to yours by going to their website and looking for their "portfolio" page. Take a Permalink The Androids Are Here...Are You Ready? Greg Jeffries — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:03:00 CDT Permalink 10 Common Mistakes Made In an Agency Relationship Ben Ferrell — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:14:00 CDT 1. Mistrust: Success can only come by investing time in a relationship where you trust competent people with projects and advice. Make sure the agency you select is trustworthy and competent. Check references by talking with other clients and vendors to verify their credibility, and do this before you sign a contract. Once you make your choice, trust them and allow their gifts to work for you. 2. Withholding Key Information: Any agency needs complete information in order to provide good, informed advice and execution. Decisions must be based upon facts and statistics, not guesses and opinions. To get the best service, you must provide the best information. 3. Delay: Synergy between organizations is critical. Slow response to projects, answers to questions, or approval of proposals or presentation of work (editorial, artwork, media avails, etc.) negatively affects the synergy in a dramatic way. It also de-motivates your agency. So respond to your agency the same way you expect them to respond to you--quickly and correctly. 4. Leaving Your Agency Out of the Loop: When you don’t bring your agency to the strategy session or planning table, it hinders everyone’s efforts. The goal is usually to build a broader reach and organization for your message and ministry. A good agency has extensive experience in creating results and wants to share that knowledge with you. Bring them in at every opportunity. 5. Ignoring Data: Allow your agency to analyze all of the available data. Nothing is insignificant. Often success is in the details of what your audience is saying, whether in their words, actions, or lack of response. Even if the facts are ugly, don’t ignore or bury the data. Wisdom from the Proverbs teaches us that any enterprise succeeds with wise planning, prospers through common sense, and flourishes by keeping abreast of the facts. With your agency as your partner you can implement all these powerful principles. 6. Not Utilizing Market Research: In the secular advertising world, a smart business never creates or releases a product or service without first obtaining good research. Those that forsake good research usually fail. Likewise, ministries should take advantage of the knowledge and wisdom that is available before making important decisions. 7. Dismissing An Objective View: Many times, employees or principals of a ministry get so involved in their activities that they “can’t see the forest for the trees.” An agency can give valuable input from an outside, objective view. There is great value in wise counsel, so Permalink Expanding and Connecting with Markets Across the Globe Greg Jeffries — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:33:00 CDT The NRB conference (National Religious Broadcasters) is well known to many in the Christian non-profit media field here in the U.S., but the conference held by COICOM - Confederación Iberoamericana de Comunicadores y Medios Masivos Cristianos (Ibero-American Confederation of Christian Communicators and Media) may be new to those not acquainted with Hispanic Christian media. COICOM was formed in 1992, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Their goal is to promote excellence and integrity in the field of Christian social communication in Latin America and Spanish speaking markets. Since then, they have influenced every aspect of Hispanic Christian media, including TV, radio, print media and new media. COICOM offers an information network for Christian organizations to promote their message beyond a local congregation. BMCFerrell has worked with many of its members which reach Hispanic markets in the USA and abroad. Maria Alcalde, with BMCFerrell’s International Media Department, will be a participant on a panel speaking at the 2008 COICOM conference being held in Panama City, Panama, Oct. 7-11. She will join Michelle Ode of Speak the Word Church International and Humberto Bayon on the workshop entitled: How to increase the ability to reach a non-Christian audience and to get religious programming on secular stations. BMCFerrell has had many successes expanding their clients’ reach to international markets, including pioneer TV penetration in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries. The company uses opportunities like the upcoming COICOM conference to network with other media venues and to establish beneficial relationships to help increase market share globally for clients. Maria says, “I’m excited to present this information to the Hispanic attendees at the conference in Panama. BMCFerrell has been effective in working with secular and religious international media in addition to helping our clients tailor their programming and outreach to conform to nuances found within diverse cultures and languages. BMCFerrell artfully blends its vast network of contacts with its awareness of how a specific culture thinks, behaves and speaks. This valuable knowledge enables BMCFerrell to offer our clients and potential clients the means to get results that last.” Make sure to return to the BMCFerrell site and read the rest of the story in mid-October when Maria returns from her trip to Panama. Permalink Local Online Ads Prove Highly Effective Eric Millington — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 11:24:00 CDT A new study reveals an interesting and effective way for churches to bring their message to a local audience utilizing a worldwide platform. The study from Online Publishers Association www.online-publishers.org titled Local Online Media: From Advertising to Action determined that community portals and newspaper and television websites provide the most satisfying local information. About 45% of the website visitors “act on local ads.” This is good news for churches looking for an effective, low-cost method of advertising to an active audience. Typically the ads on these websites are relatively inexpensive. If a church is already advertising with a newspaper, magazine or television station, the internet advertising can be added at little or no additional cost. The study showed that this type of advertising tops other methods, such as yellow pages, city guides and classifieds, in the “trust” factor. “Visitors to local media sites,” the researches concluded, “are more likely than visitors to other sites to take action after seeing local ads: from making purchases to visiting sites and stores.” Churches looking for new ways to drive people to their weekly services or broadcast services should consider advertising through these local internet sites. Given that viewers are already online when seeing these ads, churches with internet-only broadcasts could also benefit with relevant and targeted messages. Contact BMCFerrell for help in implementing a local online advertising campaign. Permalink Come on in, the water’s fine! Greg Jeffries — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:45:00 CDT Put on your floaties and test the water! We can hear it now…”If I sign up by giving you my e-mail address then it better be worth it and I better not get ‘spammed’ with a boat load of e-mails that are only touting your abilities.” You’re asking internally, “What’s in it for me and my congregation or organization? What are my risks? Are the benefits gonna outweigh the risk?” Sound familiar? You’re not alone. We hear you because we are people, just like you, who are consumers, too! Now that we have that understanding of each other, we ask ourselves: How can I expand my church community “reach” to worldwide proportions? What do I need to start thinking about to get there? What time investment and commitment is required to reach my vision? And the list goes on and on… This site has been designed as a resource and to showcase our clients…it’s what we do. Think fluidity when you “opt in” to receive your exclusive insight. You will receive e-mails that answer the questions we receive. Plus, we will provide proven tips to help grow your organization wisely…because that’s what we do! And we never sell or share your email with anyone. So, come on in…the water’s fine! Really! Permalink Improving Opt-In Email Results Randy Robison — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:37:00 CDT There are several easy things ministries can do to build their opt-in email lists and increase response to email messages. Whether your goal is to move products, solicit donations, promote events or just simply expand readership, some basic practices and a few “tricks of the trade” will help you achieve your goals. Here are a few simple things to implement that will work almost every time. First, put your opt-in on your home page. Make it easy to sign up. That means email only! A simple email box with an action line, like, “Get special deals on resources” or “Sign up for important notices” will lower the barrier for entry. If you want or need more information, put it on the next page, so someone enters their email address (and you capture it), then they have the opportunity to enter their name, address, list preferences and so on. Second, only send them things of value. If you are able to segment your list according to preferences, this helps you know what is valuable to individual recipients. In other words, if someone wants a weekly devotional, but you keep sending them news about events, they may get in the habit of ignoring your emails. If you have nothing of value to send them, send nothing at all. You want your messages to be read, so the more you know about your list’s wants and needs, the better you can serve them by sending them relevant information. Third, utilize the “subject” line. Avoid routine subjects like, “Pastor Smith’s sermon notes,” unless it is a highly targeted list, like one strictly for Pastor Smith’s sermon notes! Use the “from” line to identify yourself. For example, the sender’s address could be “Pastor Smith” and the “subject” could be more compelling copy, such as, “The Power of Spoken Words.” Recently, I received an email from Joel Osteen’s ministry. The “from” line was simply “Joel Osteen” and the “subject” line was “Lift your life TODAY!” Short, simple and to the point. And good copy from someone who knows how to communicate. Email is powerful. Don’t treat it as an afterthought. These are just a few basic tips, but with the right strategy and execution, email can provide a means of communication as effective as any other medium. BMCFerrell can help your ministry develop a better email strategy to improve your communication and increase response. Shoot us Permalink When The Government Wants To Take Your Church Land Ben Ferrell — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:57:00 CDT “A FRIEND LOVES AT ALL TIMES, AND A BROTHER IS BORN FOR ADVERSITY” (PROVERBS 17:17) At BMCFerrell, we have more than a business relationship with our clients. We share a friendship and covenant relationship in God’s kingdom. Several years ago, we did some pro bono work for our client and friend, Cottonwood Church pastor Bayless Conley, after the church received a disturbing letter from their local city council. In September of 1999, Cottonwood Church had purchased 18 acres in the city of Cypress, California, with the intention of building a new church facility. They knew that they faced some hostility from their local government the following March when they were denied use of their own property to hold an Easter service, but they were shocked a few months later when they were informed that their land would be seized through the power of “eminent domain” and re-sold to a “discount warehouse type user.” The city assumed they could collect more tax revenue from a retailer and intended to take the land away from the church. However, the city didn’t know Pastor Conley, the faith of the wonderful congregation, or the power of prayer. Cottonwood decided to fight the directive both spiritually and legally, so they prayed and went into action. BMCFerrell decided to get involved from a public relations standpoint. We wrote a tabloid-style newspaper and mailed it to every address in Cyprus and neighboring Los Alamitos. The tabloid told the story of the church, the retailer, the city of Cyprus, and the injustice of the whole idea. We made our case for the unconstitutionality of this abuse of the city’s power of eminent domain – a power generally reserved for the construction of highways, railroads and other public necessities, not a privately-owned retailer. The paper caused quite a commotion and controversy, contributed to the people’s understanding of the church’s stand and rallied Christians around the church. At one point, an estimated 500 people packed a meeting at City Hall to support Cottonwood Church. We brought in Fred Weinberg, a PR specialist with a history of effective work in controversial situations. We also met with high-ranking officials of the retailer, whom Weinberg called “a lot more reasonable than the people at the city,” and appealed to them to reconsider their involvement in this controversial transaction. In August of 2002, the Superior Court finally made their decision. The judge decided that the city Permalink \| 1 Comment(s) Vision as a Foundation Eric Millington — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:49:00 CDT Vision as a foundation for a life well lived, a ministry well performed and a business well delivered. Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians’ (1:18) is that they might see the purpose to which they have been called, and then to understand how God empowers his calling through both his gifts in us and the power of his spirit. To appreciate the power and relationship that vision has to the rest of our lives let me introduce you to a progression that I first learned from Pastor James Ryle. The progression goes like this. From Vision comes Passion From Passion comes Discipline From Discipline comes Risk. This is not the only way for us to express Passion, Discipline and Risk, but it can be argued that in our personal lives and our organizations, including businesses, churches and ministries, this must be the way we operate. This can be best illustrated by acknowledging the dangers of starting without a God-given Vision. Risk without Discipline is Recklessness Discipline without Passion is Legalism Passion without Vision is Hype Vision without God is Futile In this, we see the downside of an unrewarded life which the Bible warns us about… lives spent in Recklessness, Legalism, the frenzy of Hype, and Futility of dissipation. In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus gives us the Parable of the Talents. There, we see ourselves as the servants left behind to tend to the master’s work. Two servants have purpose, but one lacks Vision, Passion, Discipline or a willingness to take Risk in order to fulfill the important work that his master has left him. The result is judgment for the one, but an increased responsibility for those who are found to have followed the vision of their master. As in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, it all starts with God’s vision. Success or failure is determined by how well we internalize that vision through our willingness to be passionate, disciplined risk-takers. Applying the gift and empowerment that God has given us by ultimately taking action puts us in a place of great faithfulness. But if we do not commit ourselves to the process of Vision, Passion, Discipline, then Risk places us at great peril because the result is a life lived in fear of the outcome. To live in victory, we must uncover the eyes of our heart and be enlightened. To do Permalink New Demand For Programming In Fast-Growing International Market Mark Dunn — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:31:00 CDT Good news for paid programmers: Australia’s $3 billion market will soon need additional programming! Opening new international markets for our clients is a priority for BMCFerrell. In July, BMCFerrell visited three major Australian broadcasters. Together, these networks cover all of Australia’s rapidly expanding market. The market is segmented between the free-to-air broadcasters and growing cable providers. Free-to-air broadcasters still reach about 70% of the Australian households, but cable expands every year. The largest free-to-air broadcasters include Nine, Seven and Ten. Top advertisers include the Australian Government, Coles Group, Telestra, Woolworths, Nestles, Time Warner and Proctor & Gamble. High-definition channels for all three broadcasters have been launched and new digital channels are due online in 2009. With the new outlets coming online, there will soon be a greater demand for new programming. The trend towards more brand-funded programming is the product of the broadcasters’ need to fill slots that benefit the networks, advertisers and programmers. Some Christian ministries have successfully reached an audience in this growing market, but it takes an informed strategy and skilled execution. It is also notable that time-shifted viewing is popular in Australia, regardless of actual timeslot, so the local broadcast community recognizes the value of family-friendly programming. Broadcasters also utilize emerging advertising platforms such as those offered by Yahoo!, MSN for the web, SMS/MMS cell phone solutions as well as traditional print media, including newspapers and magazines. The new media platforms, along with digital television, create broader opportunities in Australia for building a strong global brand and audience. Contact BMCFerrell today to see how you can be positioned for success in this fast-growing market. Permalink

BMCFerrell News / Blog Feed

Day of Blessing

Increasing Your Impact Through the Internet and Online Video

US Internet Users and Penetration, 2007-2013 (millions and % of population)

Demographic Profile of US Online Video Streamers, by Segment, June 2008 (% of respondents)

Victory! How Sweet It Is

Congratulations Pastors Bayless and Janet Conley and the Cottonwood Church congregation.

The Fairness Doctrine Redux

Restricting Your Speech in Media Ministry

What is the Fairness Doctrine?

First Class Web Design

Do they have a good reputation?

Do they have a good sense of today’s graphic design?

The Androids Are Here...Are You Ready?

10 Common Mistakes Made In an Agency Relationship

1. Mistrust:

2. Withholding Key Information:

3. Delay:

4. Leaving Your Agency Out of the Loop:

5. Ignoring Data:

6. Not Utilizing Market Research:

7. Dismissing An Objective View:

Expanding and Connecting with Markets Across the Globe

Local Online Ads Prove Highly Effective

Come on in, the water’s fine!

Improving Opt-In Email Results

When The Government Wants To Take Your Church Land

Vision as a Foundation

New Demand For Programming In Fast-Growing International Market