The Peter Bowden Podcast

For congregations to thrive in today's digitally oriented world, their leaders need to understand how DIGITAL MINISTRY differs from SOCIAL MEDIA and MARKETING. To illustrate, I explain how to shift from using social media to market an event where you'll be educating and orienting newcomers to using social media as the venue where you are educating and orienting them. That's a shift from PROMOTING your congregation's ministry using social media to using social media platforms to DO ministry.

Friends, Happy Fall! Before diving into our first regular episode of the Fall I wanted to share some personal and podcast updates. First, this has been a busy time for me working to help congregations and other organizations adapt to life online and now work on multi-platform and hybrid approaches. I’m grateful to be in the position to help leaders learn new skills, strategies, and be of service. That interrupted my regular routine of sharing public content, which I'm now excited to get...

In this interview with the Rev. Christana Wille McKnight, minister of First Parish in Taunton, MA, we discuss the principles and strategies that helped this Unitarian Universalist congregation move from being at risk of closing to becoming a thriving small congregation playing a major role in Taunton’s revitalization efforts. You may find a text copy of the "playbook" and the YouTube version of our interview at: ...

Learn more about Video Ministry Academy at http://www.videoministryacademy.com Watch video of this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/KiRxPQYcWh4 Would you like to have a team from your congregation join our next Video Ministry Academy class? We start up the week of February 15. As we work to lead in a "digital-first” world with video dominating, this training shares skills and strategies to help promote engagement in congregational life and build a digital path to membership.

The Covid19 pandemic forced us to move congregational life online. When we are able to safely phase in offline physical gatherings, how do we integrate our digital/online and physical/offline ministry? In this session, I share ideas to help your leadership approach these conversations. Note: Always make sure you are following public health guidelines! This episode features audio from session 4 in my Leader Recharge 2021 video series. This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you...

This episode features audio from session three in my Leader Recharge 2021 video series: Making sense of digital trends and the factors impacting your congregation's 2021 strategy. This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong. I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast. If you'd like to watch the videos, visit https://www.peterbowden.live/recharge2021

This episode features audio from session two in my Leader Recharge 2021 video series: Tips to reduce "Zoom fatigue" and promote engagement. This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong. I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast. If you'd like to watch the videos, visit https://www.peterbowden.live/recharge2021

This episode features audio from session one in my Leader Recharge 2021 video series: My blueprint for reflecting, gathering insights, and moving forward! This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong. I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast. If you'd like to watch the videos, visit https://www.peterbowden.live/recharge2021 Series Schedule Week 1: Reflecting on 2020, gathering insights, and moving forward! We need to learn...

This episode features audio from my new Leader Recharge 2021 video series. This on-demand leadership series is designed to help you start the NEW YEAR strong. I'll be releasing the audio of all four sessions via this podcast. If you'd like to watch the videos, visit https://www.peterbowden.live/recharge2021 Series Schedule Week 1: Reflecting on 2020, gathering insights, and moving forward! We need to learn from our experiences. I'll share the blueprint for the conversations I've been...

Online church isn't working? Attendance down? People Zoomed out? Here are some thoughts on how to respond. What would I do? Here are seven ideas / strategies to consider. Episode notes and time codes at https://www.peterbowden.live/blog/seven-strategies-to-help-your-ministry-online Question Box https://www.peterbowden.live/questionbox Peter Bowden https://www.peterbowden.live

A great Q&A question came in last week: Peter, In the pre-social-media church world, the "membership funnel" was simple, or at least seemed simple. People entering our congregation's orbit started as visitors to Sunday worship and/or attendees of programs. The end goal, from the church's perspective, was to get those people to ... join the congregation. Is there a similar end-point in the new social media world? Is it the same endpoint? My Answer: Before we can talk about specific...

This is the recording of a LIVE session presented for the digital ministry unit of an asynchronous seminary class on November 12, 2020. What do covid19 and the acceleration of digital trends mean for seminarians, clergy, and our congregations at large? I' share observations, trends, and strategy recommendations in this one-hour session including Q & A. Thanks to all who joined us live! We had students tune from multiple seminaries with clergy joining from four countries -- United States,...

In this digital ministry strategy session, Peter Bowden shares how to turn your congregation's YouTube channel into a newcomer welcome center in 5 simple steps. Many congregations are on YouTube, but only a percentage of those are utilizing YouTube's channel customization features to welcome and support their online visitors. Watch the video of this strategy session and notes at https://www.peterbowden.live/blog/congregations-youtube-channel-welcome-center

In this ministry strategy session, differentiating between REOPENING, RELAUNCHING, and REIMAGINING your ministry! Connect with me on social media everywhere at @PeterBowdenLive: Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Covid19 has rapidly accelerated existing digital and cultural trends. We’ve probably seen 10 years worth of change over the last six months. In addition to efforts to reopen and relaunch worship services, programs and ministries, we need to make time to...

It is hard to be creative, innovate, and collaborate as a leader when you're experiencing a covid19 induced I have to move everything online and I don't know how "flight or fight" response. Here are four practices to help you move into a state that promotes growth and innovation. 1) First, be mindful of your internal state. Bugging out? Freakin? Note to yourself that you are freaking out. Then look to what it is that is sparking that response. Often it is something we don't know how to do...

Hi friends! I wanted to let you know that the COVID19 pandemic has created a huge demand for my support from congregational leaders - my core training community. In response, I am shifting the focus of this podcast -- primary focus on congregations, digital strategy, and community organizations moving online, and less on community building face to face. Previously I was working with a growing range of organizations with an increasing focus on helping people build community face to face....

A digital ministry strategy session with Peter Bowden discussing congregations, COVID19, and the value of prioritizing moving your congregation into online small groups, integrating worship and small groups, and Zoom breakout groups. PETER BOWDEN I work with nonprofit and congregational leaders across the United States on community building, small group programs, digital leadership, and other connecting strategies. http://www.peterbowden.net

Congregational leaders: This is a strategy session to get you thinking about the Covid19 coronavirus and your digital strategy should you face community spread and required “social distancing” such as limiting large gatherings and quarantines. Specifically, how can we use social media, live video, and other tools to accomplish the work and ministry of your congregation without gathering face-to-face? This is something we need to be preparing for and I have strategy ideas to get you...

We're entering a "video first" world where video dominates attention and social media feeds! What are the implications for leaders? If you aren't communicating using video you're at risk of getting shut out of people's lives. In this audio master class, I share tips and strategies to help you bring your leadership online using video. We've Entered a "Video First" World In 2016 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “Ten years ago, most of what we shared and consumed online was text. Now it’s...

With the New Year people are looking to connect with organizations, from visiting a local congregation to joining a fitness club and getting involved in the climate movement. Social media and digital culture are changing how people research and connect with these organizations. In this episode I share ways leaders and their organizations can support the digital side of this process and help people successfully connect. TEXT CONNECT: Text the word PETER to 1 (833) 306-0201 This will...