This is HIS Story Podcast

Sara is Founder and CEO of Taproot Charities, a non-profit ministry which provides school fees, supplies, and uniforms to support girls in secondary and college level education in rural Uganda, Africa.  After serving in Arua, Uganda on two medical mission trips, and seeing first-hand how the young women in Arua are culturally marginalized and overlooked, Sara felt a special calling to help provide a secondary education to the young women of Arua.  And thus, Taproot Charities was born.  When Sara is not advocating for teen girls in Uganda, she is working as an occupational therapist in hand rehabilitation in San Luis Obispo, CA.  She has been married 24 years to her husband, Travis. She is the mother to her 18 year-old son, Riley, who is currently studying engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obisp and to her 15 year old daughter, Berkeley, who is a freshman at Templeton High School.  Sara resides along the central coast of California in the small town of Templeton, which is about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco along beautiful highway 101!Interviewer:Todd TurnerToddTurner.comI'm Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide. I come along side Christian Non-Profits and churches and help them tell and fund their God-Sized missions using their digital channels. Listen in to learn how we tell our stories with integrity and ask people to join our kingdom stories. As a former Executive Vice President for an International organization,  I have traveled the world learning and teaching digital strategies in various countries and languages. I have gathered the essentials of Digital Strategies and spend my day helping organizations cut out the fads and trends and learn the simple blocking and tackling of their online fundraising strategies.FaceBook Group for Executive Pastors and Executive Directors:https://creativedigitalguide.com/facebook/Want to be Interviewed on this podcast?https://creativedigitalguide.com/podcast/

Harmony Grillo, victim of exploitation turned UCLA honor student, her goal is to help women and girls entrenched in sexual exploitation find freedom.As a survivor, Harmony is passionate about assisting women in their journeys of healing and transformation. In 2003, she founded Treasures, a faith-based outreach and support group to women in the sex industry and victims of sex trafficking.Armed with personal experience, a Master's Degree in Social Work and evidence-based theories, Harmony sheds light on the impact of a pornified culture and the lives of women trapped within it. She has received Congressional recognition for her work and has had the opportunity to train LAPD, LVPD, Department of Justice, and the FBI in best practices for working with victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking. Her memoir, Scars and Stilettos details her harrowing account of moving from victim to survivor to liberator.Interviewer:Todd TurnerCreativeDigitalGuide.comI'm Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide. I come along side Christian Non-Profits and churches and help them tell and fund their God-Sized missions using their digital channels. Listen in to learn how we tell our stories with integrity and ask people to join our kingdom stories. As a former Executive Vice President for an International organization,  I have traveled the world learning and teaching digital strategies in various countries and languages. I have gathered the essentials of Digital Strategies and spend my day helping organizations cut out the fads and trends and learn the simple blocking and tackling of their online fundraising strategies.FaceBook Group for Executive Pastors and Executive Directors:https://creativedigitalguide.com/facebook/Want to be Interviewed on this podcast?https://creativedigitalguide.com/podcast/

Wayne Stiles is the host of Walking the Bible Lands (www.walkingthebiblelands.com), an online video experience of virtual tours of the Holy Land. A former pastor and veteran traveler to the Holy Land, Dr. Stiles has served in full-time ministry for more than 30 years. He is the author of  Going Places with God,  Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus, and  Waiting on God. Wayne and his wife, Cathy, have two grown daughters and live in Texas. Visit waynestiles.com for more.Interviewer:Todd TurnerCreativeDigitalGuide.comI'm Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide. I come along side Christian Non-Profits and churches and help them tell and fund their God-Sized missions using their digital channels. Listen in to learn how we tell our stories with integrity and ask people to join our kingdom stories. As a former Executive Vice President for an International organization,  I have traveled the world learning and teaching digital strategies in various countries and languages. I have gathered the essentials of Digital Strategies and spend my day helping organizations cut out the fads and trends and learn the simple blocking and tackling of their online fundraising strategies.FaceBook Group for Executive Pastors and Executive Directors:https://creativedigitalguide.com/facebook/Want to be Interviewed on this podcast?https://creativedigitalguide.com/podcast/

Shannon McGraw is a woman in love with God and excited about her faith. But it wasn't always that way. She was only 3 years old when the abuse began by a family member. While still a teen, her boyfriend was tragically killed in an auto accident, and she began to question a God who would claim a young man with so much life yet to be lived. At the fragile age of seventeen, she was raped and she began to distrust a God who would allow such a thing. Again, as a freshman in college, she was raped a second time, and she began to earnestly put as much distance between herself and God as she possibly could.It has been said that the best thing about hitting bottom is that, when we do, we have no place else to go but up. Such was the case with mcGraw. Growing up with such evil it is no wonder she struggled with low self-esteem.  At the age of 27, having run from God as far as she could go, she found herself at the bottom of a life that was no longer tolerable. Having no place to go but up, she looked to Heaven. And there was God, surrounding her with His peace.It was the beginning of a love story that has grown more beautiful with each passing day.Shortly after her love affair with God began in earnest, Shannon felt a distinct calling to begin teaching the teens at her local church. Not only did this give her an opportunity to share her own struggles as a teen and tell others how God changed her personal tragedy into triumph, but it also allowed her to look beyond the traditions to more deeply explore the intricacies of her faith.Interviewer:Todd TurnerCreativeDigitalGuide.comI'm Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide. I come along side Christian Non-Profits and churches and help them tell and fund their God-Sized missions using their digital channels. Listen in to learn how we tell our stories with integrity and ask people to join our kingdom stories. As a former Executive Vice President for an International organization,  I have traveled the world learning and teaching digital strategies in various countries and languages. I have gathered the essentials of Digital Strategies and spend my day helping organizations cut out the fads and trends and learn the simple blocking and tackling of their online fundraising strategies.FaceBook Group for Executive Pastors and Executive Directors:https://creativedigitalguide.com/facebook/Want to be Interviewed on this podcast?https://creativedigitalguide.com/podcast/

Want to hear a modern miracle story? And see what loving the widow and the orphan really looks like? Look no further than the largest family in the world and Mully Children's Family in Kenya.  Charles and Esther Mully are saving and changing lives in Kenya.. and the ripple effect is going world wide.Mully Children's Family is committed to  the:Rescue children from hostile environmentsNourish development with proper food, shelter, and educationHeal through counseling, mentoring, and spiritual developmentPrevent future tragedy through advocacy and awarenessCharles Mulli was the firstborn son of a poverty-stricken Kenyan family of ten children. By age 6 he was abandoned by his parents to live on the streets for the next 12 years. Through diligence, hard work, and faith, Charles rose to become a very successful businessman. He, his wife Esther, and their eight children lived very comfortably as Charles became a multi-millionaire.In 1986, Charles began to hear a call on his life to care for the thousands of abandoned children he encountered on the streets of Kenya, especially as he remembered his own struggles there as a child. In 1989, Charles and Esther began to take street orphans and vulnerable children into their home to be raised alongside their own biological children. Those numbers grew so that over the last 33 years, the Mully Family has given their entire lives and considerable fortune to rescue, adopt, house, feed, clothe, and educate well over 13,000 Kenyan orphans who have graduated from the program as well as an additional 3,500 in the program currently.Additionally, Mully Children's Family (MCF) is the #1 employer, the sole source of clean water, and the main source of healthcare for the Ndalani and Kithimani Divisions in the Yatta District in which MCF resides. They have provided free education and a daily lunch for over 1,000 children in five other locations. During the 2007 post-election violence, MCF provided daily hot food for over 7,000 children in the camp and food rations for 20,000 displaced persons at the Eldoret IDP Camp as well as education for the children there.Listen to learn about this amazing man and ministry.

Linda Gunter has been changed... and now she is changing others through the ministry work of Love Him Love Them.  Hear what makes her passionate in this insightful interview. Throughout her career alongside her husband as a real estate investor  in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, Linda Gunter was faced with homelessness, drugs and prostitution daily. In choosing to make a difference the only way she knew how, in 1998 Linda and her husband turned one of their rental properties in Vine City, Atlanta, the 5th worst crime ridden neighborhood in the United States, into a homeless shelter. They named the shelter and the non-profit George's Place in honor of Linda's daddy, and they operated with funding from their friends and family. As years passed, they moved out of the Atlanta area and closed the shelter in 2003. Love Him Love Them became their new name, and their new ministry in northeast Georgia included an after-school program, jail ministry, providing for foster children, hosting community activities for special needs adults, and an annual Thanksgiving meal delivery for the local homeless and homebound. In 2004, a tragic event occurred that left 5 children who just happened to be Haitian without a mom and dad. On the 17th day of the 7th month of the year 2007, Linda's family grew from the size of 2 to 7 with children ranging in ages from 7 to 17. Because of their new Haitian children, the Gunter's were soon to have an encounter in Haiti that would change their lives and their ministry forever. In 2011, the year after the devastating earthquake rolled through Haiti, the Gunter family decided together to forgo their traditional American Christmas to travel to Haiti instead. What they saw, smelled, and experienced throughout their trip completely wrecked them.On a whim, Linda decided to stop into an orphanage on Christmas Day with a meager suitcase of flip flops in hand. Sitting on a urine- stained daybed cradling one of the newly orphaned babies, Linda and her husband listened to 30 children with no possessions and no parents sing praises to the Lord for fulfilling their prayers over the past 3 months and what happened to be their greatest need – a simple pair of 99 cent flip flops. It was then that the Gunter's knew something had to be done and chose to put much of their ministry focus on Haiti. With Linda's gift for vision and commitment to turn every obstacle into an opportunity and her husband's prayerful guidance and heart that people come to know and grow in Jesus, their ministry continued to expand. In the summer of 2017, their dream for the children they met at LifeSaver orphanage just a few years prior became a reality when the doors finally opened for the children to travel to the United States. With $128.00 remaining in the ministry's bank account, Linda and her husband took another leap of faith and toured with the children throughout the southeastern United States to raise funds to support the orphanage and mission work in Haiti. For the first time, the children were able to share their joy with the countless people they encountered. Paired with the Gunter's story and Linda's vibrant and magnetic personality, the Love Him Love Them Haitian Orphan Choir Tour quickly became a source of inspiration and a place for life change. Today, Linda Gunter continues to change lives through the ministry work of Love Him Love Them. Its ministries on the ground in Haiti include a newly built hospital, church construction, a vocational school, transitional housing, storefronts for job creation, sponsor schools, and orphan care, to name a few. Linda is now an author to two books that share stories of miracles she encountered in Haiti and during the choir tour in the United States. Linda continues to minister to the families of northeast Georgia through many of the programs that accompanied Love Him Love Them's start.

There is a great organizations whose purpose is to transform developing communities through their entrepreneurs. The focus is on the whole community, not just individual entrepreneurs. To do this, they must help entrepreneurs grow businesses in a way that inspires more people to try new ideas, connects the entrepreneurs to other entrepreneurs, and grows not just a few businesses but a culture of growth-oriented business creation. This is why ECatalyst grows entrepreneurs through an ever-expanding community process that is open to anyone with growth-oriented ideas who is willing to work hard and try something newFor nearly 22 years Thomas was a serial entrepreneur. He founded or co-founded six businesses in both the US and overseas in fields as diverse as construction, graphic design, and water bottling. He has an extensive cross-cultural background which includes living 10 years in the Middle East, traveling with significant cultural exposure in over 50 countries, and operating at different times in four other languages. He is fluent in Arabic. Thomas has also served as a professional educator, teaching recently as a Professor of Philosophy at CSU-Pueblo and PPCC. He has given guest lectures in many academic and professional contexts over the last 25 years on topics like business, startup principles, philosophy, theology, world religions, and cultural intelligence.Before starting ECatalyst, Thomas trained on the MIT method of entrepreneurship and set up for-profit ecosystems with LIFE (The Leadership Institute for Entrepreneurs).  Thomas has his BA from Cornell University in Mathematics, Psychology, and Religion, and graduated summa cum laude in his MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He currently lives in Colorado Springs with his wife Stephanie and his two amazing red-headed kids.Listen in to his WHY and how God has wired him for this unique challenge and ministry opportunity. 

On a recent trip to Kenya, I met an incredible woman who took charge of a room full of children like I have rarely seen. She balanced firm and grace well and spoke clearly and demanded attention without having to ask. After watching her work with the children of the World's Largest Family, I just had to interview her.We sat on the porch of a classroom (You can hear the background noise) to pick her brain and to learn a little more about her and her ministry at MCF. Listen in to this prized employee of Dr. Charles Mulli of Mully Children's Family. 

Join Zander Turner and Todd Turner as we give the Cliff Note version overview of Klife.KLIFE is a ministry focused on providing discipleship for students in cities across the country. Through a variety of activities (large group gatherings, small group Bible studies, mission trips, retreats, and other events), KLIFE kids grow in their faith and have lots of fun in the process! Our hope is that we would equip students to live the rest of their life for Jesus and make Him known to others.KLIFE works alongside churches and families in the community to teach and encourage kids to be strong in the Lord in spite of all the negative pressures they face as teenagers. KLIFE networks kids from different churches, and those without a church home, to build positive, Godly relationships that can withstand the negative peer pressure so prevalent in today's youth culture.

Listen as we learn about Ron's upbringing and life events and how God wired him to dive into ministry and serve in the Kingdom.Hear about the Upper Room Presents and his new project, a LOVE SONG Documentary. Ron Strand along with his wife, Kathy started the Upper Room in 2009. Ron is no stranger to ministry. From 1977 to 1981 he served as the college & career pastor at Calvary Chapel of Whittier.  In 1986 the Strand's started Calico Building Services, which has over 500 employees in multiple states.  From 1990 to 1999 Ron served as the worship leader at a church in the City of Orange, California.  In 2012 Ron  started, and continues to lead a monthly men's group . He has served on the board of directors of several faith-based, non-profit organizations. Ron began a weekly livestream show on 2020, now called “REAL TALK with Ron Strand”, which airs weekly on the Upper Room Presents media platform.  In March 2022, Ron & Kathy celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. They have 3 adult daughters, and two son's-in law. The Strands make their home in Laguna Niguel, California.  

We are making changes to this podcast. Listen to hear WHY and how you will be enjoying a LOT more God Stories along the way. 

Want to know more about What is a Gap Year? What is Link Year in Branson Missouri? Well today, we interview a person, Zander Turner, who has been through the program and talks about how he spent his year between high school and college.While Gap Year programs can focus on specific goals, talents, and skills, they are generally a non-academic experience in between two very academically rigorous experiences – High School and College.Everyone you know is a disciple of something. You're either a disciple of a culture that's attempting to force you into its image, or a disciple of Jesus Christ – being molded and shaped into whom He desires you to be.Link Year may be a place for you to discover the foundations of your faith, to better understand how God has wired you and seeks to work through you.

Let's talk about the Meta Verse and how the church can or will or might spread the gospel and even make disciples in the virtual world. Jeff is already deep down the rabbit hole of a world many Americans and church leaders have not even considered. If you are a pastor or church leader, you need to listen in.Listen in to hear what makes Jeff tick and how God has wired him... then we will jump into the new virtual world. About Jeff: Founding THECHURCH.DIGITAL in 2018, Jeff's passions have evolved into helping churches (and individuals too!) find their calling through digital discipleship, releasing people on digital mission, and planting multiplying digital churches. This pursuit is realized through DigitalChurch.Network, an organic, decentralized network for digital expressions of church. The DCN vision is achieved by working with the team NewThing Network. Jeff also champions Meta Church development as the Director of META for Leadership Network, and works closely Exponential and other globally facing, multiplication friendly, gospel-centric organizations.Jeff married his high-school sweetheart, Amy, and has two kids, and a dog, They live in Miami, Florida.

Christian Non Profit Organizations can feel like panicking, locking down spending, changing strategies when times are tough or when their donors are watching every penny.But some of the best practices for digital fundraising do not change during a recession... some do.Let's discuss what your faith based organization needs to do online to help weather the storms of fundraising during a recession.

Christians come to the table with many lenses and theological assumptions. Today, I am going to challenge a few.Today's episode will have some things you may or may not agree with. I am poking at some traditions in a way to challenge YOU and your thinking. I do not know if I am 100% right but I am ok with pointing, observing, and looking under some traditional rocks, if you will.Churches benefit from a tradition and the phrase "tithing."Pastor teach give to church first then additional goes elsewhereHigh Profile Pastors have NOT helped. Prosperity GospelChurches Spend what they collect by hiring more staff or building more buildings or bigger programs.Many do this spending in the vein of "Seeker Sensitive."Companies that help... wealth giving (taxes & strategies)Companies that help fundraise for projectsPeople like me.... Move church from passing the plate to digital collection of generosity.Listen in as we discuss churches, fundraising, money, pastors, and giving to churches.

Today we discuss the top 3 things Executive Directors should make sure is happening on their organization's websites. Super important stuff to increase engagement with potential donors. 

Chris Sicks pastors One Voice Fellowship, a new multi-lingual church in Northern Virginia. They gather to experience a foretaste of Revelation 7:9, and to make Jesus known among their new neighbors.Their logo and leadership reflect the diversity of the church. The leadership team speaks English, French, Persian, Amharic, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Punjabi, Uyghur, Chinese, and Urdu.Chris Sicks has been a pastor for over 20 years. As Pastor of Mercy, he labored to show compassion in Word and deed to the congregation and community. He is founder and board president of For the Nations DC, offering English classes to refugees and immigrants four days a week, to help our new neighbors acclimate and discover the truth and love of Jesus.Chris is a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary DCPreviously, he worked at Gospel Rescue Mission (homeless shelter and drug treatment program in Washington, DC) and ran a scholarship/mentoring program for inner-city youth. He's been a newspaper editor, restaurant manager, and Army officer.Chris lost his first wife, Sara, to breast cancer. Now married to Naomi, they have four teenagers. Chris wrote Tangible: Making God Known through Deeds of Mercy and Words of TruthHe now pastors One Voice Fellowship... A gospel-centered church that glorifies God as “a light for the nations—so that all the world may be saved.” (Isaiah 49:6). We intentionally cultivate cultural and linguistic diversity, working to reduce barriers that often separate people. United in Christ, our voices and lives harmonize in a chorus of praise to God and service to one another. Compelled and enabled to love sacrificially for Jesus' sake, our unity in diversity is a testimony to the world of what Christ alone can do as we “declare his glory among the nations!”Listen as we discuss how God has prepared him for his unique ministry at a multi cultural church. https://onevoicefellowship.org

Web Vendors generally build websites that are too formal and sterile. When speaking with nonprofit directors who don't feel confident in their web presence, there's almost always the same issue at play:The way the organization talks about their mission face to face is totally different than how it's described on their website.In other words, the way they talk about their work in normal conversation is clear, compelling, and interesting. Let's talk about how a non profit can build a website that moves people to action.  Let's discuss must haves for a Non Profit Website.

Your web team is running digital campaigns out of order and it is hurting your online donations.Ever try to bake a cake? You must mix the ingredients in the right order. Adding an egg at the end won't produce the same results of mixing it at the beginning. The order of the ingredients is just as important as the ingredients themselves.The same concept is true with words. Same three words out of order changes EVERYTHING.Jonny bit the dog vs The dog bit JonnyAs I work with faith based non profits I see the same thing over and over again. Well-meaning web and marketing teams trying a “best practice” idea they just read about or learned at a conference. Hoping this new campaign will somehow create more donors or new names.Listen as we discuss the reality that "not all Digital Strategies Work for Non-Profits"

Ask 100 people and you might get get 99 answers to "what should be the top priorities of a non profit?" We'll today we tackle this subject in a short and simple episode... What strategies and tactics should a non-profit make their top priority and goals?

Christopher Beth, Chief Storyteller / Director of The Bucket Ministry. Christopher Beth was born in 1967 on the outskirts of Chicago, Illinois to Penny and Edward Beth. Though he might argue that nothing of much significance occurred during his adolescence to early twenties, Christopher will be the first to cite one discrepancy in that: meeting, falling in love, and marrying his high school sweetheart, Sheri. Almost thirty years into their marriage, Christopher and Sheri are just as devoted to each other as the evening they exchanged vows.They have two children, Savannah and Griffin, and were recently blessed with a grandson, Eli. Today, Christopher lives in a small town outside Dallas, Texas with his wife and mother–while remaining in driving distance to his daughter (and her family) and son.Christopher worked for the majority of his life in the pet industry as a business consultant. Though never exactly passionate about this line of work, he nonetheless diligently applied himself to it for almost two decades. However, when his daughter returned from school one day with an opportunity to accompany her on a mission trip to the Brazilian Amazon, he would soon find a cause he was passionate about. Witnessing the abject lack of access to clean, safe, drinking water in Brazil, Christopher felt God breathe life into a ministry he was yet to understand the logistics or reality of. He returned home from the mission trip with a conviction to somehow merge the two great scarcities of God and water into one ministry. Thus, The Bucket Ministry was born.While The Bucket Ministry started out in the Brazilian Amazon, it is now actively evangelizing and providing water filters to over twenty countries. The mission of the Bucket Ministry is to share God's love through the gift of safe, clean, drinking water; and Christopher has every intention to realize that mission in every place lacking its spiritual and physical blessings. To watch more of Chris' story please click here.Favorite Verse: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”-Acts 4:13The Bucket Ministry is a passionate group of ordinary people singularly committed to bringing The Gospel and the gift of clean, safe, drinking water to all the underserved areas of the world. From the thicket thronged bush of Ghana to the frost-bitten foothills of Nepal, the dry and unbearing plains of Mexico to the deep green jungles of Brazil, the slick and hardpacked streets of the Kibera slums to the steep pitched mountains of Vietnam—The Bucket Ministry has boot prints in many of the world's most physically and spiritually uninviting places. Yet, in serving such an unwavering God, The Bucket Ministry is never without a shepherd for our steps.

Ever since the Story Brand book, people talk about "telling your stories" online but what does that mean? How do non-Profits tell their stories on their websites, social media, and in emails? What happens when OUR story is really a God story? How do we tell that?Today we talk about telling ministry and mission stories to the world.

Churches seem to have this unwritten rule. DON'T ask for money... "It's not Biblical. People with think bad about me, as a pastor! We met budget, we are doing fine. The Lord will give us exactly what He wants. "Some churches have even removed the "passing of the plate" and have instituted giving boxes or only online giving opportunities.But... is this even Biblical? It certainly isn't logical. on today's episode we will discuss should churches and pastors ask for money? And despite the negative feedback from people in the pews and in the streets, is it OK to talk about money from the pulpit?What can be done to make pastors brave enough to discuss this taboo topic?

Online donations for Christian organizations, Non profits, and churches are the lifeblood for funding kingdom work around the globe. Yet, they sometime are the most neglected pages on our websites. Strange, right?Too many leaders and web teams assume that "just because our website can take donations, we have done our part.... now it is up to the donor!"So not true. It is OUR Job to help donors and givers feel confident that their gifts are going to ministry. We have a lot of work to do to "fix" our online giving pages.So if you are a church or Christian Non profit wanting to know "How to create an online giving page?" or "How to set up online donations?" or "How to improve online giving?" Listen in. I will give you some tips to helping increase your online ministry funding potential. 

Today we dive into the "How did God prepare a boy from Ft. Worth to travel the world and teach people to share the Good News via "radio."Learn abut this broadcast pillar in the kingdom building community. Dr. Ron Harris is a broadcast veteran with over five decades in the media world, which includes radio, television, church media, Christian radio, writing, and media consulting. Harris was the vice president and general manager of KCBI Radio in Dallas for 15 years.  Harris has been involved in National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) for over 35 years. In 2013, Harris founded MEDIAlliance International, a nonprofit ministry that trains, mentors, and encourages Christians in broadcasting around the world.Ron L. Harris has been around broadcasting for most of his life, beginning in radio almost 55 years ago. After serving two years as Assistant Professor of Communications and Special Assistant to the President at Dallas Baptist University, Ron Harris is the president of MEDIAlliance International. In that role, he links Christian broadcasters in the United States with those in various places around the world to grow the impact of Christian broadcasting and the Gospel of Christ.Ron served with KCBI Radio in Dallas, Texas, for 15 years, most of that time as Executive Vice President and General Manager and host of the Morning Program. Ron Harris also served in the US Air Force as a Radio/TV specialist. In 2004, Dallas Baptist University conferred upon Ron the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree for Christian service that integrates his faith with his vocational calling.Dr. Harris was Chairman of the Board for National Religious Broadcasters for three years and has been a part of NRB for over 30, serving through the years as a workshop leader and speaker, board member, executive committee officer, as well as chairman. He now serves on the NRB International Committee

As we look at methods and ways to collect online gifts through church websites and using our digital channels.... let's look to scripture first to get our lens.Paul's Collection from Gentiles to give to those suffering in Jerusalem. As we follow through Acts we see key components he used as he "asked" and fundraised to believers.Authentic - Transparent PlannedStory tellingUpdatesChurches and Pastors sometime do not utilize their best weapon in the fight to spread the gospel and fund the missions of the church. Listen in for more. 

Your flock spends way more time online than in the pews and churches are in the dark ages with online passing of the plate.What makes people... specifically Christians... give? What makes them give online?Today we look at the ways churches try to fundraise and how the Bible gives us examples of "Christian Fundraising." We also take a look at Christian organizations and offer solutions for churches wanting to improve their mission and kingdom minded projects. 

Executive Directors of Christian organizations wear many hats. Fundraising and technology are two hats many don't wear all that well.Mix those together and some leaders have a deer in the headlights look.... Digital Fundraising. What is it? what does it look like? how much does it cost? What is the ROI on the investment?My job has me interacting with MANY... blessed to meet many along the way. USA and abroad. Besides personality types and skill levels, there are many different types of ED out there based on the types of ministries and sizes of organizations. Pastor backgrounds, mission minded.... all equipped differently. Today we discus a low cost solution to these issues. A Masterclass made for Executive Directors and their teams that will move the needle on online fundraising. 

Speaker and author, Mark MacDonald has a teacher's heart, loves churches, in addition, he is dedicated to improving church communication strategy so more will be reached for Christ. The Senior Church Branding Strategist at "Be Known for Something" agency. Listen in as he shares his testimony and what drives him in ministry and his career helping church tell their stories. 

Ever wondered what a Digital Strategist is or does for Christian Non-Profits and Churches? Todd Turner spends a few minutes explaining his value to small to mid-sized organizations who need help moving the needle on new names and increased revenue to fund their God Sized missions.

Today's Podcast is for Pastors who know that many of their flock are not faithful givers and want their congregation to experience the joy of giving and want to increase the ministry within their churches.Chances are… You may have been disappointed in the giving levels of a certain percentage of your flock. You are not alone. Yes, there are the faithful givers in your pews … the sacrificial givers who give out of obedience and even… get this JOY. . But, we know, not everyone who listens to the sermons, who reads scripture… gives to their church… sometimes ever.Online Giving for Churches takes simple strategies and consistent communications to help engage Christian Givers online. 

Today we dive into what makes Story telling different for Christian organizations and churches? What sets us apart from the world and best practices of story telling for businesses?Donald Millar's Story Brand and Sinek's Golden Circle (Why, How, What) is wonderful ideas and principles but do they work "out of the box" for Christians who have the Gospel as their WHY?Donors relate to a WHY. They just don't give to every non-profit out of obedience. What does "our stories" and our "story telling" have to do with motivation and our integrity?Join in today's discussion as we look into Christin Non Profits and how we tell our ministry stories online. We also praise The Bucket Ministry not only for the amazing work they are doing across the globe but because of their story telling on their website. Great work (Which I have ZERO to do with.) Very well done story telling in the Christian Non Profit Space.

Make Online Giving Easier for Donors . As a ministry in 2022, you must embrace digital fundraising as part of your donor development strategies in order to continue connecting with your present and future supporters. But just as years of experience have developed best practices for offline donor development, it's important to consider both the technical and user experience approaches that can impact online giving.Digital or online giving includes donations through a website, app, virtual reality, mobile device and SMS. The considerations for each are different, of course, but many of these principles on today's episode will apply across them all.

Small to Mid-Sized Christian non profits have a big problem. Many are stuck in the catch 22 of: We can't afford help. We are stuck and can't grow therefore we can't afford someone who can help us change that. We will just creep along and HOPE that changes.But there are so many great Christian Vendors capable to partner with organizations and help them over hurdles and to achieve goals... and many Christian Leaders and Pastors stiff arm and justify (in their minds) why.I have heard and truth be told, have made so many of the same excuses. But today, we look at the reasons Christian Non Profits may or may not want to hire and partner with various digital vendors who want to help with their ministry reach. From software to marketing to social media to graphic artists to webmasters to digital fundraisers, we look at the good and bad of christian vendors and ministry leaders and the marriage of doing ministry together.

Rhome van Dyck is the founder of Sacra Script, a ministry dedicated to equipping the Church with Christ-centered Bible studies and resources.Creator of the Sacra Script Bible Ventures App and Bible Compass. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and grew up in various places across Canada. His passion is for the worldwide Church and teaching the message of God's Word from its original context. Along with a diploma in Biblical Studies from Columbia Bible College, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with an emphasis on the Reformation from Simon Fraser University and a Th.M. in Historical Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He has served as a pastor for seven years and was ordained at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas by Chuck Swindoll. He has traveled extensively around the world teaching and training pastors often in areas of persecution and continues a busy teaching schedule both at home and abroad. He loves to help people understand how the entire story of Scripture reveals God's redemptive plan through Christ. He is married to Vanessa, a former college professor and fellow Dallas Seminary graduate. They have two young daughters: Kaleah and Adrielle. Rhome loves the Lord, his family, sports, music, history, and the great outdoors.Interviewer:Todd TurnerCreativeDigitalGuide.comI'm Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide. I come along side Christian Non-Profits and churches and help them tell and fund their God-Sized missions using their digital channels. Listen in to learn how we tell our stories with integrity and ask people to join our kingdom stories. As a former Executive Vice President for an International organization,  I have traveled the world learning and teaching digital strategies in various countries and languages. I have gathered the essentials of Digital Strategies and spend my day helping organizations cut out the fads and trends and learn the simple blocking and tackling of their online fundraising strategies.FaceBook Group for Executive Pastors and Executive Directors:https://creativedigitalguide.com/facebook/Want to be Interviewed on this podcast?https://creativedigitalguide.com/podcast/

I have the greatest job in the world. I get to walk along side amazing people and organizations doing great things around the globe. Every mission is different, every solution to a problem unique, every personality of their leaders is special. Yet, as much variation Christian Non-Profits and churches have, they are all oddly similar. I see so many of the same mindsets and so many same problems with each and every Executive Director and Pastor.I have collected some of the top Myths and Mindsets I see and address why a SHIFT is needed in the thinking.

Leaders of Christian Nonprofits wear plenty of hats... I don't think many people expect them to be masters of all of them. When it comes to Digital Strategies and online fundraising, Executive Directors, founders, and CEOs sometimes punt the responsibilities to the "technical staff" or vendors. Or they govern progress to campaigns, ideas, or anything leadership can "understand and manage."The Non Technical Christian Leader or Pastor is my target client. I help them learn to manage what is important, stop activity that is not, and teach them how to read the dashboard of digital efforts.Join in to today's discussion built especially for Christian leaders who don't feel "technical" and would rather focus their time to their strength.

Now that the non-profit space has been doing Giving Days for a while now, there are PLENTY of blogs, courses, videos, and free advice of tactics to increase awareness and donations to our organizations. But, what roles do the founder, executive director, and board of directors play in a Giving Day?

Welcome to the "This is HIS Story podcast" - The Executive Director and Pastor Guide to Sowing and Reaping Online GiversLeaders at Christian organizations and churches wear many hats and let's face it, they all don't fit perfectly. While focusing on mission, staff, vendors, fundraising, and goals... there is the matter of Digital Strategies. Technology and trends move at breakneck speeds and managing your Christian organization's online efforts can seem like a full-time job. Todd Turner has been in your shoes... He spent his life helping Faith Based organizations build solid, ethical, online fundraising strategies that work. Listen in and subscribe to grow your knowledge, increase your ability to lead your digital efforts, and be encouraged as you navigate your organization in the Digital World of ministry and fundraising.

Today we want to be encouraged and enlighten by listening in to a special interview. Jim Sheppard is CEO & Principal of Generis, a consulting firm passionate about helping churches inspire and cultivate generosity through giving development, coaching, and strategy.After college, Jim passed the CPA exam and pursued a career as a financial executive. Though he grew up in the church, Jim was not a believer until he was 28. That part of his life intersected with his business life in 1991 when he thought he might be called to the pastorate. This came at a time when he was at a very high level in a major financial services company. After an intense spiritual period in his life, Jim realized that was not where God was calling him. Seven months later through a corporate buyout and a series of providentially inspired events, Jim moved from the corporate world to giving development for churches and ministry organizations.Jim is a student of generosity and is passionate about spreading it throughout the Church. For the last 27+ years, he has devoted his life to coaching pastors especially in navigating the resource limitations that restrict their ministry potential. Jim understands the financial challenges that churches face today; annual giving, debt, capital projects, and planned giving. He is a positive force in bridging these needs with the power of spiritually motivated stewardship. Cumulatively, Jim has partnered with his clients to raise over $1.7 billion for local church ministry. Jim is a frequent writer and speaker on generosity and ministry funding. He is co-author of Contagious Generosity: Creating A Culture Of Giving In Your Church.Jim and his wife, Nancy, live in the Atlanta, GA area and they have two married daughters. He is actively involved in his church where he serves as an elder and provides guidance to the Generosity Ministry Team"This is HIS story Podcast" focuses on ministry backstories of a people God is using for his Kingdom work and those pouring out God's grace to hurting people around the globe. From Bible teachers to counselors to those that feed the hungry, pull people from dark places, and missionaries… we look into to the events, personalities, callings, and circumstances of those God is using as His hands and feet.Listen to the stories of the men and women God is using for his Kingdom work and those pouring out God's grace to hurting people around the globe. From Bible teachers to counselors to those that feed the hungry, pull people from dark places, and missionaries… we look into to the events, personalities, callings, and circumstances of those God is using as His hands and feet.

The Executive Director and Pastor Guide to Sowing and Reaping Online GiversWhat does Ethical Digital Fundraising and Executive Directors and Pastors have in common? A whole lot.Technology is moving at break neck speeds. So is data collection and thus... access to this information.Your Web Team and vendors have access to more data than you may can even imagine.Listen in to learn about choses you may need to make about data available to you and how that effects the way you fundraise.Leaders at Christian organizations and churches wear many hats and let's face it, they all don't fit perfectly. While focusing on mission, staff, vendors, fundraising, and goals... there is the matter of Digital Strategies. Technology and trends move at breakneck speeds and managing your Christian organization's online efforts can seem like a full-time job. Todd Turner has been in your shoes... He spent his life helping Faith Based organizations build solid, ethical, online fundraising strategies that work. Listen in and subscribe to grow your knowledge, increase your ability to lead your digital efforts, and be encouraged as you navigate your organization in the Digital World of ministry and fundraising.

Today's episode is pulled from a Webinar created in 2021 that is SO relevant and needed for Non-Profit Executive Directors and even Executive Pastors: The Section of the Webinar was called "Your Reports are Lying to you!"It helps eliminate passing data up from those below to the board of directors and having important information ignored. Selling a report that was built to show success not necessarily facts. Stop having needless "Vanity Reporting" laid on your desk and wasting valuable time finding the information you really want.In a day when data is everywhere... learn how to find... or better yet.. ask for the INFORMATION you need to find if your web efforts are bringing in RIO.We discuss how to measure online projects and learn to make reporting decisions BEFORE the project starts.Leaders at Christian organizations and churches wear many hats and let's face it, they all don't fit perfectly. While focusing on mission, staff, vendors, fundraising, and goals... there is the matter of Digital Strategies. Technology and trends move at breakneck speeds and managing your Christian organization's online efforts can seem like a full-time job. Todd Turner has been in your shoes... He spent his life helping Faith Based organizations build solid, ethical, online fundraising strategies that work. Listen in and subscribe to grow your knowledge, increase your ability to lead your digital efforts, and be encouraged as you navigate your organization in the Digital World of ministry and fundraising.

Welcome to This is HIS Story podcast: The Executive Director and Pastor Guide to Reaping and Sowing Online Givers. Today's Episode we are discussing the answers to these questions:Why you don't have to spend tons to find new donors or keep the ones you haveHow the executive teams I work with are winning back 5, 1, even 15+ hours a week for themselves.Simple methods to align your staff and vendors to row to the same simple goal(s).How to gain confidence that the ROI of your digital efforts are being used in good stewardship to your board and donorsHow to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape, so your organization stands out and excites current donors.And, how to do all this, while gaining maximum exposure for their organization and funding their God-sized mission.We discuss a Free Webinar built to answer these questions.Former Executive Vice President of a large international non-profit organization where he served over 11 years. Todd Turner has studied digital fundraising strategies in multiple countries, languages, and cultures around the globe. A public speaker and digital consultant passionate about sharing his findings and strategies with Christian Non-Profits.

Welcome to This is HIS Story podcast: The Executive Director and Pastor Guide to Sowing and Reaping Online Givers. Most all "help" for digital strategies is aimed at the doers at the keyboard and cellphone but there is not a lot of help out there for those managing an organization's Digital Strategies... from the Executive Director's or Pastors chair. I'm Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide, and I am going to spend Episode 0 telling the genesis of the why, how, and when I help Christian organizations transform their online world into a funnel of New Names and Online Givers. Why do Executive Directors and Pastors need another podcast or tool in their tool belt?Learn how a little kid from East Texas has been blessed to work with large international organizations and small non-profits and churches around the globe for over 25 years. And how listening to this podcast can help give Executive Leaders of Small to Mid-Sized Christian Organizations a leg up on managing the staff, volunteers, and vendors that help them tell their passion story and fund their God-sized mission.CreativeDigitalGuide.com