Professional Development

Upcoming educational programs

Below are listed future educational programs hosted by RCC; be certain to also check out the chapter pages for additional in-person and educational sessions.

Tuesday, April 23 at 2 p.m. EST –  “Great Communication – How to move people, attract attention, and use research to help you do so even more effectively”

Join Jeff Goldstein, president of ACUPOLL, for an in-depth view of using measurement and evaluation to improve the effectiveness of your communication efforts.

Jeff has been the President and owner of ACUPOLL Precision Research, Inc., since October 2012, bringing a passion for innovation and helping to grow the organization to meet the demands of an ever-evolving market landscape.

Jeff rose through Brand Management at Procter & Gamble in the ’80s and ’90s, working to boost market share for brands like Scope, Crest, and Pepto-Bismol. He spearheaded advertising training, helped improve global innovation structure and processes, and served in Corporate New Ventures, helping the COO explore new “white spaces” for the company.

After leaving P&G in the late ’90s, Jeff continued to be a catalyst for strategic growth as the President of Ingenuity Advisors, and has helped clients discover and pursue game-changing strategies: developing global category-creation initiatives, successfully launching new brands, pinpointing strategic acquisitions, and improving innovation capabilities and processes.

Jeff also invented and launched his own brand, +Repelle™, which gained distribution in 18,000 stores, 43 press stories, and a major hair color brand trademark license.

Being President of ACUPOLL gives Jeff the opportunity to help even more companies improve their success rate in innovation and marketing, thereby fueling the success of more businesses and their employees, and ultimately helping families and communities thrive.

Jeff lives in Cincinnati with his wife of 25+ years, two daughters (in college), yellow labrador, two frisky felines, and a colorful saltwater reef tank. He enjoys traveling with his family, cheering on the Cincinnati Bengals, and helping to revitalize the camp where he and his children have spent many wonderful summers.

 

Religion Communicators Council is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82943398530?pwd=ZTJjbE9zVmMwMHoxSVlOSXgzODdvQT09

Meeting ID: 829 4339 8530
Passcode: 555294

 

 

Thursday, May 16 at 2 p.m. EST –  “Our Members’ Best – DeRose-Hinkhouse Winners Discuss Their Winning Entries”

Join several RCC members who were honored during our 2024 annual conference  by being selected as DeRose-Hinkhouse winners. Tehy’ll discuss their entries and share some tips on how to prepare your entry for next year.

Zoom link will be sharer closer to the event date.

Thursday, June 20 at 2 p.m. EST –  Leveraging Religion Data

Staff from the Pew Research will share what types of information and religious research they have, the best ways to access their religion data, and insights into their methodology and research.

Zoom link will be sharer closer to the event date.

APR Accreditation

Visit our APR Accreditation page to learn more about this voluntary designation and accreditation program available to RCC members from the Universal Accreditation Board.

Learn More

Personal Learning Resources

Looking to build new knowledge, skills, and abilities? Or want to refresh ones you haven’t used in awhile? Below are several trusted resources to help you grow — personally and professionally.

Coursera.org

From courses to degrees, Coursera offers 100% online learning from the world’s best universities and companies on a wide variety of topics. Many individual courses are free. Consider the offerings in their Marketing, Leadership and Management, and Personal Development libraries.

LinkedIn Learning

Learn business, creative, and technology skills online from industry experts. An on-demand video learning library with more than 14,000 courses, LinkedIn Learning is available as part of a premium LinkedIn.com subscription. A free one-month trial is available.

Google Analytics Academy

Does your organization use Google Analytics? Google Analytics Academy guides you through a free online program to improve your data collection and analysis skills with this measurement tool. Complete their online program and you can earn your Google Analytics Certification for free as well.

Past Professional Development Webinars

Past Recorded Webinars and Convention Presentations

 

Shared below are our most recent educational development webinars;  click here to go to our YouTube channel, with videos of past webinars, convention presentations and Wilbur awards

 

 

Tuesday, March 12 –  “Emerging Trends in Social Media”

Katie Allred, founder of ChurchCommuniations.com, leads an online community of 30K+ church leaders from all over the world. When she isn’t doing that, you can find her teaching at different universities, speaking at conferences, and writing at KatieAllred.com. Katie is a thought leader in marketing, business, and Christian leadership.

Click here to view the video on RCC’s YouTube channel.

And below, a note from Katie:

Dear Attendees,

I hope this message finds you well and buzzing with new ideas after our recent journey through the ever-evolving world of Social Media Trends in 2024. I am profoundly grateful for your engagement, insightful questions, and the vibrant conversation that followed. Your enthusiasm and curiosity made the session not only informative but truly inspirational.

As promised, I am thrilled to share with you an exclusive link to my upcoming AI class tailored specifically for those of us in the church and ministry sectors: AI for Churches Cohorts. This unique opportunity is designed to delve deeper into how AI can transform our outreach, engagement, and community building efforts. I believe it could be a game-changer for your ministry, and I can’t wait to explore this frontier together.

For those of you who might have missed out on some parts of the webinar or want to revisit certain discussions, fret not! We are currently working on compiling the highlights and key takeaways, which will be shared with you soon.

In addition, I would like to extend a personal invitation to stay connected and continue our conversation through various channels. Whether you’re looking for more insights into social media trends, need help with your church’s or organization’s website, social media, or SEO, or simply wish to join a community of like-minded individuals, I’m here for you. Here’s how you can reach out or follow along:

And, if you’re not already a part of it, I highly encourage you to join our vibrant Facebook group, where we continue to share resources, support each other, and grow together.

Your feedback, stories, and insights are what fuel my passion for this work, so please don’t hesitate to reach out, reply to this email, or connect on any of the platforms above. I’m here to support you in making a greater impact through your ministry.

Thank you once again for your participation and for making our webinar a memorable experience. Here’s to taking our learning to new heights and making a profound difference in the communities we serve.

Warm regards,

Katie Allred

 

 

January series hosted by EPIC (Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations)

Hartford Institute researchers shared a series of webinars to help viewer to better understand the challenges and possibilities for congregations and pastors to thrive. Hosted by EPIC (Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations), each week explored the latest church research and insights for beginning the ministry year full of optimism and direction. Sessions included: 

  • Multifaith Patterns – An exploration of the variety of ways faith groups have responded to the challenges of the pandemic. Co-sponsored with Faith Communities Today.
  • Latino, Black & Multiracial Church Dynamics – A deep dive into the distinctive patterns and dynamics of Black, Latino and Multiracial churches.
  • Technological Innovation – Discussion on how the technological changes of the past few years are reshaping congregational life.

For details and for videos of the free sessions: EPIC Series

 

RCCongress 2020 Recorded Webinars

 

Backpack Journalism: Multi-Platform Story Creation with Gregg Brekke, Visual journalist and Executive Director of the Associated Church Press

Pew Research – The Decline of Christianity in the United States: An Update on America’s Changing Religious Landscape with Dr. Gregory A. Smith, Associate Director of Research, Pew Research Center

ΘeoCon (Thee-Oh-Con): Where Theology Meets Pop Culture! with Rev. Shayna J. Watson, Canon Pastor at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Religion Writing: From Pitch to Publication with Adelle Banks, Production Editor and National Reporter, Religion News Service

Content is Everything. What is YOUR Strategy to Use it? with Lou Ann Sabatier, Principal and Lead Consultant at Sabatier Consulting

Creating a Third Space: Communicating Across Religious and Cultural Boundaries Through the Arts with Dr. Patrick M. Beldio, Teacher, scholar, and artist

Pew Research – Americans’ Views on Religion’s Role in Society and Politics with Claire Gecewicz, Research Associate at Pew Research Center

Storytelling and Media Arts that Spread a Vital Faith with Rev. Dr. Ron King, Founder and Director of Sidebar Stories, and Ken Medema, Musician, Composer, Founder of Brier Patch Music and Ken Medema Music