2016, 2017 and 2018 to see who made the list.
With this new year I have 6 new ones to follow. The criteria that I have is that they are involved in Church Communications, Social Media, Student or Family Ministry or Online Ministry. They also need to be producing great blogs, vlogs or podcasts on a consistent basis. If they do not post regularly, they aren’t one the list. I am not going recommend you follow someone if they aren’t being consistent in their postings, no matter how great their content is. And that’s it. It’s pretty simple but those are the two important aspects of my criteria.
So, in NO particular order, here are the top 6 to seek out in 2019:
Jeanette Yates. Jeanette is the Director of communications at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church. She also is co-host to the Two Church Girls and a Microphone Podcast where Jeannette and fellow co-host Meghan Howard helps “you create a strategy, build community, and keep it real in church communications”. It’s a great podcast and Jeannette is a wonderful resources for all church communicators as she is constantly learning and is very active in the Church Communication world.
Jeff Reed. I just met Jeff this past year and heads up The Church Digital (a great resource for Online Ministers. Jeff has a background in Online ministry spending about 20 years experience working in the digital/technological fields for the Church. He blogs consistently and has ebooks that will help any Church or Online Minister do online ministry more effectively.
Dan Isvantik. Dan is the 5th – 8th pastor at Victory Church in Lancaster, PA. Although I just recently discovered him, he has been doing ministry for over 20 years. He has a fantastic blog called the Middle Years where she shares his insights and experiences as well as resources – both his own and those he finds for others. If you minister to any student with the grades of 5th – 8th grade, he is someone you want to look up and start following.
Seth Muse. Seth is Communications Director at Hope Fellowship Church in Texas. Although he began his ministry career as a Student Minister, over time has moved into becoming a fantastic Church Communicator. In fact, whenever there is a question I have with Instagram, I ask Seth. He loves it and is a great Instagram strategist. You can check out his blog and podcast here and join his Facebook group as well.
Youth Specialties. When I first started doing Student Ministry in the late ’90s Youth Specialties was the premier student ministry resource group. They had a ton of resources and a great conference. However, over time their influence and popularity amongst student ministers lessened and they went through years “in the wilderness” where different groups bought and took ownership of them, but their influence was still minimal. However, in the summer of 2018 Orange and Download Youth Ministry bought Youth Specialties and has brought new life to group. With all that has transpired at the end of 2018 and the rebirth of the company, if you are in student ministry, Youth Specialties is a group you want to follow.
The Wrestling Pastor. This one is just for pure fun. If you want a belly laugh almost everyday, follow the Wrestling Pastor, Josh Reavis. Not only is he an actual minister, he tweets wrestling GIFs all the time that directly relate to what every single minister experiences. That is why they are so funny. You can order merchandise here.
ACTION STEPS:
- Share your thoughts! Who are you following in 2019? Share your thoughts and insights below or on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick.
- Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers.
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