Pro Church Tools with Brady Shearer
Unit 5, 3659 Stanley Avenue L2E4Z1 Niagara Falls, ON, Canada

I just released one of our most anticipated videos of the year... The best camera setups for churches UNDER $1,000! In this year's edition, we've got a Canon offering, a Panasonic offering, and a Sony offering.... Each camera comes with a lens. And each church camera setup is capable of capturing photos, videos, and live streaming. So which one is the best for you and your church? That's the question we're going to answer - together in this video. Click below to get started: https://prochur.ch/359jXgo

In today's video, I'll share with you the 7 most essential pieces of gear UNDER $50 that I always keep in my camera bag. This is the kind of gear that often gets overlooked, but you'll be glad you have it - because it just might save the day when you need it. Let's dive in.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSSffbHwCag

Yes, I'm making a big claim with the subject line of this email. But in my decade of making videos for churches, I have never been as excited for a camera as I am for this one. Seriously.... And what makes this camera so special is that it can do...basically anything. It's a camera with virtually no weaknesses. And that is something that I have been waiting on for a very long time. Let's dive in: https://prochur.ch/33wwDx1

It's time to retire traditional social media calendars. They're just not conducive to progress online in a post-pandemic world. So in this video, I'll be sharing with you The New Social Media Calendar For Churches.... (it's not really a calendar at all - but I'm using that term because we're all familiar with it) Because we are now in a new era of social media for churches. Here's what's next... https://prochur.ch/2KCjJqB

Today, I'm going to teach you 44 social media post ideas for churches that don't get ignored. With every post idea, I'll be sharing real examples and talk through some of my best design tips and tricks. And let's be clear - this is a beast of a video.... Because it's the distillation of years of social media experimentation in one place! But if you watch through the whole thing and take good notes, I promise you'll have a refreshed perspective for what's possible on social at your church. Let's dive in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmgu0SjYYMw

I can imagine a future - within the next 5 years - where the biggest problems I've had with church apps - over the last 5 years - are mostly solved. But...there are still big hurdles we need to clear to get there. Namely, if your app doesn't seamlessly connect with your website and ChMS database, you'll end up building two different platforms, spending on two different platforms, and maintaining two different platforms.... As churches, our resources are thin. We know this. We're vocal about this. So don't make things worse on yourself by enacting a strategy that demands double the cost and effort. Moreover, your website carries greater importance than your app. Full stop. So if the cost of your app is 2X-5X+ more than the cost of your website - that's a bit of a red flag to me. The cost of something should be roughly proportionate to its value. There's one more thing that bothers me about apps... Because resources aren't infinite. And when a church starts saying YES to an app, they usually start saying NO to other things. And what suffers? A church's social presence. They spend time and money on their OWN app, rather than the apps people are already on: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. We become more concerned with building our own castles than actually engaging the culture. So what if you answered YES to each of the three questions in this post? Does that mean you should get an app? No. It might mean you're one of the few churches that could benefit from one though. But just because there are no glaring reasons NOT to do something doesn't automatically make it the right choice.

I've been pretty vocal in the past AGAINST live streaming for churches. Why? Because I think rebroadcasting your church's service online is a second-rate experience.... It's kind of like watching live sports but with no commentators, no replays, and no sound design. Sure...it's something. But it *could be* so much more! Today, I want to share with you what MY church has been doing with online church. Specifically, FIVE ideas to take your church's live stream to the next level. And to leverage the best parts of digital platforms to make something new and unique. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xysc2LkwJWc

Plenty of new faces around here so I wanted to introduce myself (plus, a new headshot - felt like it was time). My name's Brady Shearer. I live in Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada with my wife and daughter. And I lead a company called Pro Church Tools. We got started about seven years ago. I was in my third year of Bible College. Newly married. At the time, the living space of our one bedroom apartment tripled as a living room, dining room, and makeshift studio to film videos.... Today, we're a team of about 15 team people across three different locations in North America. I love to make things. To build. To create. Specifically, here are two projects that have been important to me this year: 1. PHOTOGRAPHY: I've been making videos for more than ten years. But prior to this year, somehow, I had never translated those skills to the world of photography. Like, seriously, I didn't know how to take a photo. Want to know what was holding me back? Shutter speed. There are very simple rules for choosing shutter speed (or angle) when capturing video. But I was clueless on how to choose a shutter speed when taking a photo. So anyway, I watched a YouTube video and figured out that it wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined. And now, I've been having soooo much fun capturing my own photos for the first time this year. 2. NUCLEUS: My fifteen year project. We're about five years in now. Still feels like we're writing the first lines of code though (in the best way). If you're curious how my company makes money...this is it. We're a software company. You can find our platform at www.nucleus.church. A couple thousand churches use Nucleus. We've saved churches more than a million dollars in giving fees since launching the donation component of Nucleus last year. Instead of keeping it for ourselves - we gave it back to you. And we're rewriting the script on what a church website can be. Glad to have every one of you along for the ride. Thanks for your attention. And all of your kind words.

In 1985, Nike released the Air Jordan 1 - the shoe that would spark the modern sneakerhead movement and become a multi-billion dollar business on its own. But here's the part of the story you may not know... In 1985, basketball players weren't marketed like they are today. The pro athletes that got the big marketing push in the 80s? Tennis players.... At the time of the signing, Nike was a $25 million-per-year company. With a $2.5 million marketing budget. And like all its competitors, it figured the best way to spend that money was to sign multiple players - not give it all to one guy. Phil Knight himself, the co-founder and chairman of Nike, was hesitant. Giving all that money to Jordan? Seemed risky. That's just not how it was done in 1985. That's not how it had ever been done. But in the end, Knight decided to stay quiet and let the deal get done. The rest is history. Just because it's always been done a certain way, doesn't mean it's the right way to do things today. Especially as we navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years. Don't become so enamoured with the method that you forsake the mission.

Today, I want to share with you the best free video editing software for churches. Because, there's really only one option here - and it's not particularly close. Even better...... The free tool I'm about to share with you is - believe it or not - a superior option to most paid tools. And to get you started off right, I'll also be sharing with you the exact export settings I use to make sure videos always look outstanding. Along with a few best practices and pro tips for using this software with any computer or operating system... ...that's right, even older computers. Let's dive in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtT-m61iCiQ