Gourds and Pomegranates - Comms Advice for UK churches

In this episode, we wanted to shout out some of the churches and Christian organisations that are doing comms well, highlighting specific aspects of what they do so we can draw inspiration for our own church comms. Huge thanks to our series sponsor, Stewardship - https://stwdshp.org/gap Mentioned in this episode: - Holy Trinity Boar Lane - https://boarlane.church/ - ⁠G&P Episode 44 including i...

In this episode, Joe and Hannah chat to Gavin Courtney, the founder of ChurchSuite, a church management tool that can help you get organised with managing your church's data and internal communications. Huge thanks to our series sponsor, Stewardship - https://stwdshp.org/gap Mentioned in this episode: - Churchsuite - https://churchsuite.com/ - Podcast - Working Genius - https://www.workinggeni...

Why is it that pastors find it so hard to talk about money? In this episode, we're joined by Steve Matthews (Stewardship) and Naomi Buckler (Cheerful Giving, FICO) as we explore what a healthy giving culture looks like, and what steps we can take towards it. Mentioned in this episode: Stewardship - https://stwdshp.org/gap Cheerful Giving - https://naomibuckler0.wixsite.com/cheerfulgiving FICO...

In this episode, we explore the idea of welcoming people in to church, and the impact it can make to the experience of our visitors. We think through the who's and how's and offer some practical tips to help us all to welcome better. Huge thanks to our series sponsor, Stewardship - https://stwdshp.org/gap Mentioned in this episode: - ⁠G&P Episode 34 — Through the eyes of a newcomer - h...

In this episode, we meet with Richard Coekin from Reach Ministries to talk all things church growth and planting - even down to designing your church building. Huge thanks to our series sponsor, Stewardship - https://stwdshp.org/gap Mentioned in this episode: - Reach Ministries - https://reachministries.uk/ - Podcast - The Rest is History - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0d0mj5v - The Church...

We're back next week with more church comms tips for UK churches and even a new sponsor! Find out more about the show  - https://gppodcast.uk/ Like and follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GPPodcast.uk

In this episode, Joe and Hannah are joined by founder of WMT and host of the Worship Ministry Training Podcast, Alex Enfiedjian. The episode covers the significance of worship in church communications: critically, that worship is more than just music and a vital part of church life! We also think about the role of worship leaders, the challenges they face, and the importance of training and equipp...

In this episode, Hannah and Joe discuss the importance of video content in modern church communication, particularly focusing on the rise of vertical video formats and how platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts can be leveraged to engage audiences with your church’s content. The chat covers various types of content that can be created, the significance of understanding algorithms for...

In this episode, Joe and Hannah are joined by Dan Rous, AKA Community Dan! Dan shares about his journey as a church and community developer, highlighting the importance of reconnecting churches with their communities. He discusses the challenges churches face in engaging with those around them and the to adapt to modern societal changes, whilst still staying focused on God’s unchanging truth. We c...

In this episode, Joe and Hannah explore various aspects of church life that often go unnoticed but are crucial for creating an inclusive and welcoming environment. They share personal anecdotes, discuss the importance of accessibility, sound quality, comfort, and effective communication — as well as the need for proper volunteer management and crisis planning. The conversation highlights the signi...

In this special guest episode we chat with Maria Warren, an HR business owner and consultant. Maria shares her insights on the unique challenges and opportunities that churches face in managing human resources. She discusses the importance of strategic HR, effective communication, and the need for churches to support their volunteers and staff. We also particularly highlight the significance of co...

In this episode, Hannah and Joe discuss the significance of church communications in the modern world. They explore the various reasons churches may resist engaging with digital platforms, including theological concerns, resource limitations, and fear of criticism. The discussion emphasises the need for churches to adapt their communication strategies to meet the changing cultural dynamics and to...

In this episode, Joe and Hannah explore the dynamics of church meetings, emphasizing the importance of effective communication, leadership, and engagement. The hosts discuss strategies for preparing agendas, leading meetings, involving participants, and creating a positive atmosphere, all while incorporating prayer into the process. The aim is to make church meetings more productive and enjoyable...

In this episode, we delve into a topic many prefer to avoid: budgets for church communications. Hannah and Joe discuss the challenges churches face managing limited resources, such as money, volunteers, and time. We offer practical tips on prioritizing spending to align with your church's mission, making efficient use of digital and print communications, and ensuring investments in essential t...

Insights from The Church Office! Join us as we welcome Gavin Smith from the Church Office podcast for a crossover episode packed with insights and laughs. We dive into the intricacies of church management and administration, discussing everything from Gavin's career journey to the cultural impacts of administrative roles in church settings. Gavin also shares his favorite podcasts and his prefe...

Join us for a special collaboration with the Church Office podcast. In this episode, Gavin Smith invites us to discuss the critical behind-the-scenes work of church administration and communications. Joe and Hannah share insights on the importance of strategy, tools, and community in church comms, as well as telling the story of how the Gourds & Pomegranates podcast came about. Mentioned in th...

In this episode, Hannah and Joe tackle a series of rapid-fire questions commonly posed within church communications communities. From practical tips on designing effective welcome cards to managing last-minute event changes and understanding GDPR implications for digital communications, this episode delivers concise, actionable solutions for common church comms challenges. Mentioned in this episod...

We're back! And we've been baking... something... podcast, it's a podcast. Tune in next week for Series 6, covering all sorts of church comms goodness, including comms budgets, how to run a successful church meeting, do churches need to be thinking about HR (yes!), reconnecting church and community, worship in church and more. The first episode (well, 51st...) will be covering some of...

Episode 50 — Our top 10 church comms tips of all time ever!! In this special celebratory episode, we go through our top tips for churches in how they communicate, with a few bonus mentions and highlights thrown in. We cover prioritisation, excellence, planning, stories, people… and more! We’ll refer back to a lot of previous episodes, which are listed below for your ease of finding them! Bonus - F...

In this episode, we think about the dreaded task of knocking on people’s doors and the general role that print publicity can play as part of a church communications strategy. Mentioned in this episode: G&P Episode 9 — Terrible Church Posters Canva Training Trio Webinar Canva G&P Episode 41 — What does excellence look like in church comms? Find out more about the show  - GPpodcast.uk Like a...

Trigger Warning: Spiritual Abuse In this episode, we discuss Spiritual Abuse. What is it and what can we do to recognise and avoid it, whilst communicating with sensitivity to those who have been hurt. Mentioned in this episode: Book - Marcus Honeysett - Powerful Leaders Diary of a CEO - Stephen Bartlett Find Francesca online: www.linktr.ee/ssa.restart www.survivingspiritualabuse.com www.amazon.co...

In this episode, we cover our favourite church comms resources. Gourds & Pomegranates is one of many resources aimed at churches, each with their own individual flavours and benefits. So as to best serve you, we’ve created a page at ⁠https://gppodcast.uk/resources⁠ where we’ll add any new resources we come across and try to keep things up to date. But for now… mentioned in this episode (hold y...

In this episode, we cover something that’s often forgotten about — how to actually lead a church service in a way which is helpful and engaging. To help us cover as much of a range of church backgrounds and cultures as possible, we have contributions from a number of friendly voices — some of which you might just recognise. Mentioned in this episode: G&P Episode 34 — Through the eyes of a newc...

In this episode, we welcome the brilliant James Doc, to talk about all things church and tech and to find out a bit more about Kingdom Code. Tickets for Kingdom Code’s Build event in October are now available at https://kingdomcode.org.uk/build/2024/ Mentioned in this episode: Kingdom Code Build Faith Tech Christian AI Partnership Basil Tech Breeze Translate Real Time Translation Project (Breeze)...

In this episode, we talk about how we can bring people into the comms team within your church. We believe that digital and comms are a ministry and giftings area and it’s important to have the right people onboard. So we talk about aspects to think about such as strategy, onboarding and workload priorities. Find out more about the show  - GPpodcast.uk Like and follow us on Facebook - facebook.com/...