2016, 2017 2018, and 2019).
With this new year of 2020 here, I have 6 new ones to follow. Now, you may already know them and follow them but maybe you don’t.
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 2020:
Dave Adamson. Dave is the Social Media Pastor at NorthPoint in Atlanta (Andy Stanley’s Church). Originally from Australia and working as a reporter for a Sports Network there, he now makes his living sharing the Bible and the good news of Christ online via social media and, in particular, YouTube. What I love about Dave (other than his cool accent), is that he has such a passion for sharing about Christ to others but also encouraging other ministers in how to get better at doing online and digital ministry. He has a Facebook Group that he runs called YouTube for Churches. He is a great resource and is as nice in person (I got to meet him at the Orange Conference in 2019) as he is in his videos and social media channels. You can find him on YouTube, Instagram, and on his website amongst other places.
Kent Bjustrom. Kent leads a Multi-Site Student Ministry at Northview Church in Central Indiana with 13 campuses (9 with student ministry). I met Kent through Youth Specialities and the NWYC (we were both bloggers for NYWC ’19). Not only does Kent have a great ministry, but his blog is fantastic offering great, consistent insights. Also on his sight he offers coaching and a few ebooks you can read.
Ben Stapley. I met Ben through his work with Online Ministry. Currently he is the Weekend Experience Director at Christ Fellowship in Miami, Florida. Ben offers a lot of great insights covering a variety of topics. What is unique about him is that he post regular training tips and videos on his social media accounts that are extremely well done and beneficial. You can find these on Twitter under the #BenStapleyVideos. You can check out his YouTube channel or check him out on Twitter or Instagram where he posts regularly. You can also check out his website.
Chase Snyder. I met Chase at NYWC ’19 and while he writes a lot about student ministry (he served in Student Ministry for a long time before just now transitioning to another ministry position at his Church), there is something there for all ministry leaders. Chase’s blog covers spiritual growth and leadership topics to help people live out their faith in Jesus. Chase is also the founder of Ministry Bubble & 228 Publishers. Pastor.
Katie Allred. Katie is a phenomenal Church Communications leader. She created the Church Communications Facebook Group with Darrel Girardier and now she runs it with Kenny Jahng. It is a HUGE resource for Church Communications leaders. In addition to this she helps lead the Good Works Agency. She is also a Professor at the University of Mobile and University of Florida. She has so much to offer! You can find her on Twitter, on the Church Communications Facebook Group or at the Church Communications Blog.
Steve Cullum. Steve is a student minister in Colorado. He is also a blogger and podcaster of student ministry topics. I have known Steve for quite a few years through our writings on the Orange Bloggers team. He has also written with and for Youth Specialities for NWYC and their blog. In addition, he is an avid gamer which helps him connect with students. You can find his writing and podcasts on his website.
ACTION STEPS:
- Share your thoughts! Who are you following in 2020? 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.
- Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week! And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it. 🙂
- If you have an idea for a topic for a future podcast episode, email here.
- Sign up for the Sidekick Scoop to get content from all over the ministry world (especially online and student ministry topics).