Kem Meyer on Less Clutter & Noise

Social media for organizations...

Keep these golden rules in mind as you plan your social media strategy for your business, your church, your non-profit... This list was inspired by a Fast company article about Twitter, but it applies to blogging, Facebook, Twitter and more.

This is the top five list of non-negotiables in the professional social media arena.

1. Make it part of your trade. It requires an investment of time and dedication. If you treat it as an afterthought, you will be an afterthought.
2. Give more than thou receive: Promote others more than you promote yourself.
3. Be undeniably genuine. Stay conversational while sharing professional and personal tidbits. Demonstrate there are humans inside the organization.
4. Say thank you. Personally thank people who mention you. Respond to comments.
5. Keep it simple. That's the whole point. Digestible. Portable.

Do you still view social media as an "add-on" instead of an extension of what you already do at your organization? Here's an oldie but a goodie to help provide the context you need. It might be time to say goodbye to some of your vintage communication channels.

The Social Media Playbook

View more documents from Chris Heuer.

Shift happens...are you paying attention?

It's easier than ever to reach a large audience, but harder than ever to connect with it.

Did you know?

Thanks, Xplane for a great media. And, thanks to Jake for helping me find it.

Don't talk about money...

Everybody's all ... "I want to grow in my faith and get closer to God and I want my life to matter." Until, somebody brings up money. And, then they're all "You are out of bounds with that topic. Not appropriate." What EVER.

I'm not judging. I'm confessing. I've been there. Heck... when faced with some of my daily spending decisions, I AM there. Who doesn't get all protective when they want what they want? (Just ask how I reacted when Mark put me on the envelope system. NOT pretty.)

So, here's where I stand on the subject. I'm glad my church is not afraid to tackle "un-touchable" topics head-on. If they didn't, I'd have the luxury of living in destructive denial with my head in the sand. Instead, they bring up what's buried and agitate me. And, as a result, I'm forced to wrestle with some tough topics to find out what I'm truly made of.

It's not about money. It's about my heart. And, sometimes, God uses my money to show me areas of my heart that could be healed. Am I self-aware or am I defensive? Am I curious or am I mad? 

• It's a reflection of my heart.
• It's my faith in action.
• God won’t trust me with more if I don’t trust Him with what I have now.
• My faith won't go to waste.

Are you attending church, but not giving? I dare you to take a leap of faith and start giving. I PROMISE it will pull you closer to love.

The difference between men and women...

Allow me to use the birthday cards I got from Emmi and Easton this year to visually illustrate the difference between men and women.

    

Top 5 places to start reading in the Bible...

Somebody recently asked me how to start reading the bible. They were just kicking off their journey and were looking for handles that made sense. In the moment, I didn't know how to answer them. There's so many good places to start. I didn't know how to prioritize, categorize or communicate where to begin.

I could Google all the best Christian advice on the subject or ask some reputable pastors I know, but I felt compelled to make it more personal. I remember how frustrating it was when I was the one looking for help getting started. I didn't have the same filter as a Bible scholar or even a regular "seasoned church person" and was desperately looking for someone to answer my question in plain English and help me relate it to my life.

After giving this question some thought and reflecting on my own journey, I made this list. For me, these books were the most relatable, practical places for me to get a grip when I was introducing the Bible into my life. In no particular order...

• John ... to learn about Jesus
• Acts ... to learn about the Church
• James ... essential wisdom for daily living
• Ecclesiastes ... an expose of the arrogant and ignorant expectations we fall victim to
• Proverbs ... practical quotes, sayings and images for the here and now

* This list includes my personal recommendations and does not reflect the views of any recognized seminary, theologian or tract authors.

Justification

I found these pictures on my camera. For some strange reason ... I thought these were worth capturing on film on a day trip to the Shipshewana flea market. Who knows why these things in particular capture my attention. It's a mystery snapshot into my flawed soul.

  

  

I want to associate with organizations that have personality

Case in point... this simple form letter is so refreshingly original and unpredictable it makes me want to buy more. I'll recommend this company to people because of this email alone. How much money and time did it take to create a new fan? Slim to none.

There's not enough personality these days. Have some fun. Take some liberties. Loosen' up. Where are you missing these simple, small opportunities for big impact in your church?