Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise

Less Clutter. Less Noise. book tour happens today...

Today's the day I take the book on the virtual road and visit 28 blogs in 27 cities. The rules were simple. One question per blog all on one day. Some questions were hard, some were easy, some where short and some were long--all were good. Enjoy the tour! (It might take you more than a day, and that's ok. I about killed myself hitting all in one day. You might want to pace yourself.)

1. "Our church seems motivated most to attend events and activities when things are announced from the platform. When there’s no major push from the pulpit, how does one get the congregation excited and eager to participate in other things that are happening in the church using other forms of communication?"  Find the answer on Frank Chiapperino's blog. (Philadelphia, PA)
   
2. "What mistakes have you made in the past and how/what have you learned from them?" Find the answer on Curtis Stephens' blog. (Charlotte, NC)
   
3. "What are your top 10 (5 will do) ways to communicate effectively?" Find the answer on Dave Baldwin's blog. (Reistertown, MD)
   
4. "If you were to move to a small church with little to no budget for communications, how would you implement a system for communications?" Find the answer on Faye Bryant's blog. (Townsend, TN)
   
5. "If you had to start over again (you found yourself at a new church), with no staff and leadership not agreeing with your philosophy, what one thing would you focus on first?" Find the answer on Frank Deno's blog. (Latham, NY)
   
6. "We’re finding our families are extremely busy and increasingly unable to get involved in church events. What are you best practices for communicating and engaging busy families?" Find the answer on Jenny Smith's blog. (Dayton, OH)
   
7. "What are some principles and strategies for transforming a silo-structured communications environment, where ministries are allowed to compete for attention with your main message?" Find the answer on Jeremy Davidson's blog. (Tulsa, OK)
   
8. "What's been the most valuable lesson you've learned since working in ministry?" Find the answer on Jon Edmiston's blog. (Peoria, AZ)
   
9. "As I read about Granger's communication policies and practices, it's apparent both the medium and the content are designed to be uncluttered. How did this mindset come to be part of the DNA of the leadership of the church?" Find the answer on Kim Bontrager's blog. (Wichita, KS)
   
10. "Is it better to have one long blog entry or podcast episode, or multiple short ones?" Find the answer on Tim David's blog. (Orlando, FL)
    
11. "When it comes to building the buzz about a sermon series or event, how do you determine the amount of energy, communication pieces, and time it will take for the largest buzz to grow?" Find the answer on Mark Borgetti's blog. (Naperville, IL)
    
12. "What ways have you found effective to communicate to regulars, who like the way things are, why changes are necessary in order to better connect with guests? Find the answer on Matt Ames' blog. (North Augusta, SC)
    
13. "As part of a larger church staff, what do you find to be the one essential/non-negotiable ingredient for your team to consistently function at a high caliber?" Find the answer on Mike Gothard's blog. (Elizabeth City, NC)
    
14. ""What effect does church marketing and communication have on a church's children's program; do you think a communications team should collaborate with a children's ministry team on developing the program?" Find the answer on Nate Nakao's blog. (Morristown, NJ)
    
15. In the past, we've had NO communication strategy at my church. Part of my job is to create and implement one. In your experience, what is the best way to successfully walk the ministry leaders and staff through this transition without becoming a dictator of communication? Find the answer on Nick Asolas' blog. (Gilbert, AZ)
    
16. "How do church’s find a balance in utilizing new and old media in their presentation of the gospel?" Find the answer on Sam Mahlstadt's blog. (Winston-Salem, NC)
    
17. "How do we effectively communicate (vision, values, policies) with-in the multi-site model without adding layers of complexity?" Find the answer on Sam Luce's blog. (Utica, NY)
    
18. "We're a fairly inter-generational church with a good mix of tech and non-tech savvy people that worships 430 on a weekend in four worship services where all generations are represented. If you were starting from scratch in your communications strategy, what is the first communication tool you would tackle to reach the most people?" Find the answer on Sue Steege's blog. (Tonawanda, NY)
    
19. "Is social media the new wave of communication from the church to the unchurched? If so, how might we best use this medium to maximize impact in our cities?" Find the answer on Tommy Bowman's blog. (Kansas City, MO)
    
20. "You have a lot of great action items in your book, things to evaluate, then to implement some positive changes if needed.  Where would you suggest starting if there are many things that need attention?" Find the answer on Jody Wissing's blog. (Frisco, TX)
    
21. "Desert island. You, on it.  Choice of three books and three CDs.  What would they be?" Find the answer on Beth Brawley's blog. (Powhatan, VA)
    
22. "In a smaller church setting, where most of the communication material is from volunteers, what can be done to coach all of those volunteers to reduce clutter?" Find the answer on Matt Kerner's blog. (Springfield, MO)
    
23. "How does the local church ensure they are not adding to the 'noise' engulfing their congregation?" Find the answer on Adam Mashni's blog. (Plymouth, MI)
    
24. "Given the topic of your book, what are your thoughts on twitter?" Find the answer on Jim Kast-Keat's blog. (Grandville, MI)
    
25. "Our church likes to be (more than) a little edgy in our sermon themes, hoping to speak the language of our culture.  For instance, we preached a series on sex called Turned On. Can you suggest any guiding principles for choosing themes that are very relevant but don't cross the line of being in bad taste?" Find the answer on Robb Ryerse's blog. (Northwest, AR)
    
26. "I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook; I loathe the thought of Tweeting.  I see their value, but I also see so many people being sucked into these social networks, wasting hours of time playing games, taking quizzes, sending flair,  etc. which seems like the ultimate in clutter and noise. How can they best be used while subtly communicating "don't settle for status updates thinking you've experienced the real thing." Find the answer on Vanessa Ryerse's blog. (Northwest, AR)
    
27. "What would be your social networking advice for a church planter? Assuming he wants that added clutter and noise to his already busy life?" Find the answer on Guy Walker's blog. (Birmingham, AL)

LIVE VIDEO AFTER PARTY! (Just when you thought the fun was over.) Mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 2 p.m. EDT. Shawn Wood (Charleston, SC) is the host. You're invited. Don't miss it. Shawn's even better than Ryan Seacrest.

My favorite graduation gifts for 2009

[SPOILER ALERT: If you a a recent graduate I know and love...don't read this post if you want your gift to remain a surprise.]

For the rest of you ... Here are my top three graduation gifts of choice this year.

       

Five things to demand from design thinkers...

Some highlights from an article I read yesterday...I think it's important to absorb stuff like this in order to train our brain to think differently; to break our ruts and change our paradigms. The article shared ten things you need to know to make design thinking work for you...I'm sharing five.

Today we are facing many tough problems in business and our society as a whole. Design thinking is a problem-solving protocol that can be used on virtually any problem. Not just for the world of designers; left-brain, linear thinking, engineering professionals effectively ladder up on the idea, too.

1. Clarity about Equity Brand equity used to belong to the Madmen of Madison Avenue. But advertising simply doesn't work like it used to, and won't ever again. Customers, enabled by the Internet and social networks, are telling companies what they want through the truth of the consumer experience.
2. It's in the the Story A story has emotion, narrative, and memories built into it. In a world bloated with messages, a story is sometimes the only thing people will remember.
3. Design at the Beginning Design is more than aesthetics or attractive packaging. Before setting off on any mission, design thinking protocol asks us to step back and ask "Is this the right way to frame this problem?"
4. Keep Assassins in the Crosshairs "We did that here once. It didn't work." "That's not the way we do things here." Figure out a way to overcome resistance to new ideas or become a Designosaur.
5. Use Your Head Before Your Hands Look past a project to the next step, sideways to the tangents affected by the result and the investment required. No problem is solved in isolation.

Full article by Mark Dziersk in Fast Company.

One of the best book endorsements ever...

I woke up to find this in my email this a.m. It's made my Friday great.

Dear Kem,

I hate books.

I read a LOT online.

But I hate books.

I took a flight to California today and read 205 pages of your book.

I love your book!

Great job!

Ben Sanders

Less Clutter. Less Noise. blog book tour

I'm taking the book on the virtual road, but am intentionally avoiding the freeways and taking roads off the beaten path. Last week, I sent out an invite, and found some new places you might want to visit. Hopefully, this blog book tour will generate some new traffic for these guys and, at the same time, change the world with less clutter, less noise.

NEXT Friday, May 29, I'll be stopping by the following locales to answer a different question on each blog.

PLUS EACH TOUR STOP WILL BE GIVING A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK TO ONE LUCKY READER.

It could be you.

• Frank Chiapperino, Teaching Pastor (Philadelphia, PA)
• Curtis Stephens III, Design, Marketing & Communications (Charlotte, NC)
• Dave Baldwin, Pastor of Ministries (Reistertown, MD)
• Faye Bryant, Communications (Townsend, TN)
• Frank Deno, Connections Pastor (Latham, NY)
• Jenny Smith, Student Pastor (Dayton, OH)
• Jeremy Davidson, Media & Marketing Director (Tulsa, OK)
• Jon Edmiston, Director of IT & Communications (Peoria, AZ)
• Kim Bontrager, Director of Worship (Wichita, KS)
• Tim David, Macs in Church
• Mark Borgetti, Campus Pastor (Naperville, IL)
• Matt Ames, Social Networking Director (North Augusta, SC)
• Mike Gothard, Senior Pastor (Elizabeth City, NC)
• Nate Nakao, Liquid Kids Team Lead (Morristown, NJ)
• Nick Asolas, Media Arts & Communications Pastor (Gilbert, AZ)
• Sam Mahlstadt, Pastoral Executive Team (Winston-Salem, NC)
• Sam Luce, Children's Pastor (Utica, NY)
• Sue Steege, Director of Transformation Ministries (Tonawanda, NY)
• Tommy Bowman, Creative Arts Director (Kansas City, MO)
• Jody Wissing, Visual Arts Director (Frisco, TX)
• Beth Brawley, Worship Arts & Communication (Powhatan, VA)
• Matt Kerner, Pastor of Creative Arts & College Ministry (Springfield, MO)
• Adam Mashni, Associate High School Director (Plymouth, MI)
• Jim Kast-Keat, Student Ministry Associate Pastor (Grandville, MI)
• Robb Ryerse, Narrator & Directional Leader (Northwest, AR)
• Vanessa Ryerse, Artist (Northwest, AR)

Yeah, that's right ... I'm hitting 26 blogs and 26 cities in one day. CRAZY, I know. [UPDATE: This just in ... Shawn Wood, Experiences Pastor (Charleston, SC) will host a blog tour after party. I wonder what question he has up his sleeve?]

I'm giving away a workshop...

Remember I told you about the therapeutic dose of electrical energy you can get in on June 25-26?

I've got one to give away for free. All you have to do is buy one to get one and then get here.

Give the free one away as a gift or come with a friend and split the cost. You can use the buy one/get one on any workshop that's being hosted on June 25 or 26. It doesn't have to be my workshop. Isn't that awesome? I'm just doing what I can to help at least one person get here that might not be able to because they spent their $99 at Target. I know, it happens. We've all been there. Plus, I love it when I get to travel with someone from my team...hopefully, I can help make that happen for you.

I've only got one to give away...first one to email me wins.

Watch live! The underbelly of technology nobody talks about...

Tomorrow from 11-12 (CENTRAL), I'll be delivering a keynote at the Dynamic Church Conference. Can't be there? That's ok...watch it live from the comfort of your computer.

I'm going to reveal "The Underbelly of Technology Nobody Talks About." I've pulled out my elementary school report cards for this occasion. Don't you wonder how they relate?

What can I do in 3 clicks?

For the next few days I'm diving into the Dynamic Church Conference in Frisco, TX. Out of all the sessions I could attend, I picked this one..."What can I do in 3 clicks?"

Steve Drescher, our workshop presenter, broke it down this way...

"because what it's really about is ...
getting to what you want without getting buried."

We're running through fast & easy entry to the stuff that adds value to everybody. Nice job, Steve ...very less clutter, less noise.

I’m looking for a few good blogs…

Here's the deal. I used to think church was for out-of-touch people who just needed to "get a life". Now? I believe the local church is the hope of the world...it just needs some help with its communication strategies. Now, it's true the church isn't the only organization that needs some help in this area. I can think of plenty of schools, businesses and not for profits who get in the way of their own story. But ... the church has more to lose and should try harder because it has more to give. I care enough to not only speak up about it ... I'm trying to equip people and help. If you're reading this blog, you already know this about me. But, I may not know you yet. And, I'm looking to meet some new people. People I don't know yet who:

• who have influence inside local church ministry and use their blog to equip others who need help thinking outside.
• who wants to organize better bulletins, brochures, databases and Web sites that communicate in a language that people connect with.
• who are looking for ways to encourage collaboration (not competition) among teams and departments.
• who have already read Less Clutter. Less Noise. and believe it can help church leaders, staff and volunteers communicate more clearly and effectively.
• who would love to give away a free copy of the book to a lucky reader on their blog and get some additional traffic sent their way.

Would you like to host a stop on my blog tour? If so, send an email to info@thirtyonepress.com. Include your name, church, job role and blog link. You don't have much time...we'll be announcing the blog tour stops on May 20 (that's less than a week away).

If your blog is selected, here's how it will go down:

1. I'll email you with the news you're on the tour.
2. You email me a question by May 26.
3. I'll email back with my answer by May 28.
4. You post our Q&A on your blog on May 29 and select one of your lucky readers to get a free copy of the book.
5. Your blog link will be posted here and on WiredChurches.com.

Harvard Business advises us to shut up...

Found this on the Church Marketing Sucks blog this week:

The Harvard Business Blog recently published an article entitled When to Keep Your Mouth Shut, taking a look at the high cost of over-communicating. They give some examples:

• continuing to describe product features after you've convinced your audience.
• starting with an apology for a lack of preparedness.
• pilot letting passengers know over intercom they'll have enough gas to reach their destination.

It's these moments, where nothing needs to be said, that someone tries to fill the space and ends up losing momentum, or worse, trust.

Joshua goes on to confidently and wisely point out this advice applies to churches, too.

Sometimes it is just better to keep your mouth shut and let your actions do the talking. Sometimes it is just better to keep your mouth shut and not draw attention to things that wouldn't garner attention in the first place.