Trends Churches Secretly Hate (But Do Anyway)

We’ve put together the ultimate list of 49 free tools churches are using right now. And here’s the best part — these aren’t just our picks. Every single tool comes directly from churches like yours, already putting them to work in real ministry.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 3:17 - Communication 9:05 - Project Management 11:58 - Creative Resources 17:25 - Audio 20:43 - Production 24:50 - *Free, Not Free* 28:30 - Most Popular Tools   IMPORTANT LINKS - The Church Smartphone Photography Masterclass: https://youtu.be/KaUPT9o4Lus - WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/ - Slack: https://slack.com/ - Invite Everyone: https://inviteeveryoneapp.com/ - Messenger: https://www.messenger.com/ - Asana: https://asana.com/ - Trello: https://trello.com/ - Notion: https://www.notion.com/ - Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/ - ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ - Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/ - Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ - VSCO: https://www.vsco.co/ - YouTube Video Downloader: https://y2mate.com/ - 4K Video Downloader: https://www.4kdownload.com/ - Coolors.co: https://coolors.co/ - Motion Array: https://motionarray.com/ - Tally Forms: https://tally.so/ - Adobe Express: https://www.adobe.com/express/ - Noun Project: https://thenounproject.com/ - FontBase: https://fontba.se/ - Audacity: https://www.audacityteam.org/ - Loop Community: https://loopcommunity.com/ - Adobe Enhance Speech: https://podcast.adobe.com/enhance - MacWhisper: https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper - Otter.ai: https://otter.ai/ - Chrome Remote: https://remotedesktop.google.com/ - Bitfocus Companion: https://bitfocus.io/companion/ - PowerPoint: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/powerpoint - Keynote: https://www.apple.com/keynote/ - Presenter: https://www.worshiptools.com/en-us/presenter - Life.Church Open Network: https://open.life.church/ - Smash: https://fromsmash.com/ - Meta Business Suite: https://business.facebook.com/ - Google For Non-Profits: https://www.google.com/nonprofits/ - Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ - ImageOptim: https://imageoptim.com/ - OBS: https://obsproject.com/ - Freeshow: https://freeshow.app/ - CapCut: https://www.capcut.com/ - DaVinci Resolve: https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve - Canva: https://www.canva.com/   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

What’s a popular church tech or creative trend that drives you crazy? We asked that on Instagram and got hundreds of replies. Some overlapped, some were surprising, and a few were just plain weird. Today, we’re breaking them all down.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:25 - No Vowels 4:26 - Fit Checks 8:50 - Design Icks 11:56 - Skit Reels 15:55 - Black Box 20:18 - Display Icks 24:05 - Copycat Syndrome 31:56 - Forrest Frank 33:26 - BONUS ROUND   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

Instagram just rolled out some major changes – and yes, they affect everyone. So what now? We’ll walk you through what’s shifting in the algorithm and share practical adjustments your church can make to stay ahead.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:43 - Supply vs. Demand 7:45 - The Danger of Taking Breaks From Social 13:48 - More Quality vs More Volume 19:40 - Leverage Your Greatest Asset: An In-Person Audience, Not Just An Online Audience 26:04 - Plant Seeds 30:33 - Your Job Is Not To Be Good At Instagram 35:00 - Eventually, New Opportunities Arise   IMPORTANT LINKS - Mosseri Q&A: https://bit.ly/3HLgzi2 - Boujee potato: https://bit.ly/3UHkKhR - Alex Hormozi: https://www.instagram.com/hormozi/ - Russell Brunson: https://www.instagram.com/russellbrunson/ - Sean Cannell: https://www.instagram.com/seancannell/ - SocialSermons: https://www.socialsermons.com/ - Alex Hormozi Content Strategy: https://bit.ly/41RfsUM   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

03If your hook fails, your post fails – it’s that simple. We studied thousands of posts from 63 churches over the past year to uncover the hooks that performed best. The findings? Some were expected, others completely unexpected – and we’re sharing them all with you.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 4:13 - What is a “hook”? 6:10 - Inversion 10:40 - Meeting People In Their Pain 17:28 - Missing Info 21:04 - Questions About God 25:27 - Hows and Whys   IMPORTANT LINKS - DOWNLOAD The Church Promotions Formula Library: prochur.ch/promo - SocialSermons: https://www.socialsermons.com/   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

We put four of the top AI tools to the test — three made for churches and one mainstream option. Using real sermons, we measured editing experience, post quality, and time saved. The goal? To find out which tool, if any, is worth using for your church’s social media… or if it’s still better to do it yourself.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 5:14 - The Hook 29:23 - The Edit 35:39 - The Time   IMPORTANT LINKS - SocialSermons: https://www.socialsermons.com/ - Social Media Algorithm Secrets For Churches: https://youtu.be/duoWsi5MMao   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

You don’t have to stop promoting the same event at church – you just need to do it in a way that keeps people interested. That’s what today's episode is all about. We took a bunch of real promotions you submitted and we’re going to show you how to rework them into fresh, repeatable frameworks that actually get attention without wearing people out.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:27 - Recap of The Rules 5:44 - Category #1: Camp 12:25 - Category #2: Worship/Prayer Night 16:13 - Category #3: Groups 21:47 - Category #4: Fall Kickoff 23:10 - Category #5: Autumn Community Event 31:56 - Category #6: Retreat/Conference 35:40 - Category #7: Anniversary   IMPORTANT LINKS - DOWNLOAD the Library of Promotion Formulas: https://prochur.ch/promo - The New Rules For Church Promotions: https://youtu.be/oUJd07j4kE0 - SocialSermons: https://www.socialsermons.com/ - Skit Reel Example #1: https://bit.ly/44JWUI6 - Skit Reel Example #2: https://bit.ly/3IJ81bC - Skit Reel Example #3: https://bit.ly/4f1WPmw - Skit Reel Example #4: https://bit.ly/4f1WQXC - Skit Reel Example #5: https://bit.ly/4m6k4y1 - Skit Reel Example #6: http://bit.ly/3IO0JmZ - Skit Reel Example #7: http://bit.ly/4lEbp6h - Skit Reel Example #8: https://bit.ly/40CaHxT - Skit Reel Example #9: http://bit.ly/3IO0RCZ - Skit Reel Example #10: http://bit.ly/3IIhuA2   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

More and more teens are turning to AI chatbots for connection, advice, and answers. What could go wrong? If you’re in youth ministry, you may have already seen the dark side of this trend. In this video, we explore why this shift could be more damaging to Gen Z than social media was for Millennials—and what your ministry can do about it.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 3:00 - Takeaway #1: Delegation Becomes Dependency (Dr. Caroline Leaf) 6:57 - Takeaway #2: Formation Needs Friction 13:00 - Takeaway #3: AI Is Not A Friend 25:17 - The Theological Argument *For* AI In Ministry   IMPORTANT LINKS - Caroline Leaf: https://x.com/DrCarolineLeaf - Your Brain On Chatgpt: https://bit.ly/4nyRHKn - Hopeful Intelligence: A Framework for How Spiritual Wisdom Can Reimagine AI — David Kim [Talkingbird]: https://bit.ly/4nCb59z   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

The future of creativity is shifting—fast. And for the first time, humans aren’t the only ones leading the way. New studies from Stanford and MIT reveal how AI is already transforming creative work. In this video, we break down the top 3 takeaways every creative needs to know to stay ahead. ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 1:00 - Takeaway #1: The AI Revolution Is Backwards 13:06 - Takeaway #2: Trust Is The Biggest Roadblock 20:27 - Takeaway #3: Creative Bankruptcy IMPORTANT LINKS - Future of Work with AI Agents: https://bit.ly/4lzlPnc - Your Brain On Chatgpt: https://bit.ly/4nyRHKn - Threads, Podcast Video Studio, & AI Policy For Churches: https://youtu.be/hngpsILIL8I THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com  JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

A church in Arizona has shared its goals for the year—and surprisingly, not one of them mentions attendance. So what are they focusing on instead? And should your church take a similar approach? In this episode, we break down their strategy and what it could mean for your ministry.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 4:36 - Reason #1: Process OVER Outcome 10:39 - Reason #2: Lead OVER Lag 19:18 - Bonus Goal #1: Young Leaders Coalition 23:44 - Bonus Goal #2: Amplify More Voices 30:35 - Bonus Goal #3: Staff Sabbatical Policy   IMPORTANT LINKS - Ironwood Church: https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/ - Luke Simmons Twitter | X: https://x.com/lukedsimmons - Makeovers: https://www.nucleus.church/makeovers - What Predicts Church Growth or Decline?: https://bit.ly/44o8pVk   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

Church live streaming is one of the most misunderstood parts of modern ministry. Some see it as a threat, others as a lifeline—but most hold at least a few misconceptions. So in this episode, we’re unpacking the truth, challenging assumptions, and exploring what’s next for digital church.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 8:00 - In-Person vs. Online: What the Data Says 8:53 - Does In-Person Attendance Reduce Online Participation? 10:43 - Is Online Church "Replacing" In-Person Worship? 12:38 - Do People Prefer Online Church? 13:13 - Who Watches Online Church the Most? 14:52 - Key Takeaways 19:50 - Application   IMPORTANT LINKS - How AI & Social Media Are Changing You — Rich Wilkerson Jr. & Sean Cannell — Ep 55: https://youtu.be/SKT24eT9svE?feature=shared   THE 167 NEWSLETTER 📫 59,296+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com   GET IN TOUCH 🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com 🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church 📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com    JOIN THE COMMUNITY 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer