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The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

Pro Church Tools
The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer
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907 episodes

  • The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

    The State Of Church Social Media In 2026

    16/09/2026 | 38 mins.
    Churches have never published more content on more platforms. So why does everything feel harder?

    Today, we'll unpack the state of church social media in 2026 - what the latest reporting says, and what it means for your church online.

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    Table of Contents:

    =============================

    0:00 - Intro

    1:03 - 1. We've Reached Peak Content

    9:53 - 2. Short-Form Is for Discovery, Not Depth

    13:13 - 3. Social Media Is Becoming Search

    21:25 - 4. Your Follower Count Matters Less

    22:58 - 5. YouTube Is Still the Main Event

    25:53 - 6. God Is Not Dead - Neither Is Facebook?

    31:36 - The Changing Landscape of Social Media

    34:49 - What's Coming Next

    THE 167 NEWSLETTER

    📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com


    GET IN TOUCH

    🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com

    🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church

    📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com

    JOIN THE COMMUNITY

    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/

    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer

    🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer

    ALL CITATIONS

    METRICOOL

    - "2026 TikTok Study" — PRIMARY https://metricool.com/press-release-tiktok-study-2026/

    - "2026 Social Media Study" — PRIMARY https://metricool.com/press-release-2026-social-media-study/

    - "2026 YouTube Study" — PRIMARY https://metricool.com/press-release-youtube-study-2026/

    SPROUT SOCIAL

    - "2026 Influencer Marketing Report" — PRIMARY https://sproutsocial.com/insights/press/new-research-finds-influencer-reach-is-no-longer-tied-to-follower-count/


    - "Q2 2025 Pulse Survey" (2025) — PRIMARY https://investors.sproutsocial.com/news/news-details/2025/New-Research-from-Sprout-Social-Finds-Social-Media-is-the-Top-Place-Gen-Z-Turns-to-for-Search-Surpassing-Traditional-Search-Engines/default.aspx

    PEW RESEARCH CENTER

    - "Americans' Social Media Use 2025" (November 20, 2025) — PRIMARY https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/


    ABOUT ME

    Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
  • The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

    Small Churches vs. Big Churches: Who Makes Better Disciples?

    09/09/2026 | 34 mins.
    Smaller church, deeper discipleship - right? Lifeway surveyed 2,130 Protestant churchgoers, and both extremes came out on top.
    Today, we'll unpack the church-size discipleship paradox, and why being in a group matters more than church size.
    =============================
    Table of Contents:
    =============================
    0:00 - Intro
    1:46 - The Methodology - 8 Signposts of Discipleship
    3:38 - 1. Both Extremes Win
    7:08 - 2. Small Churches Have Relational Gravity
    7:53 - 3. Small Churches Still Have Blind Spots
    13:27 - 4. Large Churches Build Discipleship Infrastructure
    15:39 - 5. Groups Matter More Than Size
    18:14 - The Seafood Boil - Deep Knowing Relationships
    23:23 - 6. Different Sizes Need Different Mechanisms
    27:37 - 7. Every Church Can Borrow From the Other Extreme
    31:19 - 8. Size Is Context, Not Destiny
    THE 167 NEWSLETTER
    📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com
    GET IN TOUCH
    🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com
    🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church
    📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com 
    JOIN THE COMMUNITY
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 
    🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
    ALL CITATIONS
    LIFEWAY RESEARCH
    - "Smallest, Largest Churches See Strongest Discipleship Scores" (August 2026, n=2,130) — PRIMARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/08/25/smallest-largest-churches-see-strongest-discipleship-scores/
    - "Discipleship Deficit Exists Among U.S. Churchgoers" (January 2026) — PRIMARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/01/27/discipleship-deficit-exists-among-u-s-churchgoers/
    BOOKS REFERENCED
    - Henri Nouwen, "The Return of the Prodigal Son"
    ABOUT ME
    Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
  • The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

    Most Pastors Lead Small Churches. Most People Don't Attend One.

    02/09/2026 | 36 mins.
    7 in 10 American churches are under 100 people. Yet over half of churchgoers worship in churches of 500 or more.
    Today, we'll unpack American Christianity's two competing versions of "normal" - and what small, large, and mid-sized churches should do about it.
    =============================
    Table of Contents:
    =============================
    0:00 - Intro
    2:04 - The Math Behind the Paradox
    3:23 - Two Different Versions of Normal
    10:25 - Trained Big, Hired Small
    12:19 - Big Churches Set the Standard
    19:47  - Growth Feeds Growth
    21:26 - Scale Makes Room for Everyone
    22:50 - Small Churches Win on Commitment
    24:47  - The Middle Gets Squeezed
    29:30 - Big Churches Control the Story
    31:12 - Final Thoughts

    IMPORTANT LINKS
    Church Chaos Episode 4: https://youtu.be/ToD6BaY7ssk

    THE 167 NEWSLETTER
    📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com

    GET IN TOUCH
    🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com
    🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church
    📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com 

    JOIN THE COMMUNITY
    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer/
    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer 
    🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
    ALL CITATIONS
    LIFEWAY RESEARCH
    - "1 in 6 Protestant Churchgoers Attend Megachurches" (August 2026) — SECONDARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/08/12/1-in-6-protestant-churchgoers-attend-megachurches/
    - "Smallest, Largest Churches See Strongest Discipleship Scores" (August 2026, n=2,130) — PRIMARY https://research.lifeway.com/2026/08/25/smallest-largest-churches-see-strongest-discipleship-scores/

    HARTFORD INSTITUTE FOR RELIGION RESEARCH
    - "Megachurch Resurgence" (June 2026) — PRIMARY https://hirr.hartfordinternational.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Megachurch-Resurgence.pdf

    NATIONAL SURVEY OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS
    - "Clergy in America" (2025 report, n=1,600 clergy) — PRIMARY https://static1.squarespace.com/static/65417aab75d81771950d332f/t/67cb42e5cad1c1762527f317/1741374184941/NSRL-report-2025-clergy-in-america.pdf

    ABOUT ME
    Well hey there! I'm Brady Shearer, the creator and director of Pro Church Tools. I started this channel more than 10 years ago. Today our company is a team of 30+ creatives dedicated to helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years.
  • The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

    We Put 8 Popular Church Trends on Trial

    26/08/2026 | 41 mins.
    Many churches are borrowing the same trends: 360 stages, LED walls, AI artwork, sermon series rebrands. Some push mission forward. Most just recycle.

    Today, we'll put each one on trial and deliver a verdict: keep it, kill it, or reinvent it.

    =============================

    Table of Contents:

    =============================

    0:00 - Intro

    1:12 - The 360-Degree Stage

    10:01 - The Pyramid Projector

    16:19 - Cinematic Sermon Reels

    21:49 - The Rage Bait Interview Trend

    26:04 - A New Visual Identity for Every Sermon Series

    31:25 - LED Walls as the Stage Centerpiece

    34:23 - AI-Generated Artwork

    39:31 - Trendy Typefaces That Sacrifice Readability

    THE 167 NEWSLETTER

    📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week.
    Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com


    GET IN TOUCH

    🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com

    🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church

    📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com

    JOIN THE COMMUNITY

    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer

    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer

    🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
  • The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer

    The Central Hub Strategy For Churches [Building Block #7]

    19/08/2026 | 43 mins.
    GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4bSjIZf

    Ask how to sign up for an event and you'll get five different answers. Fewer options equals more action.

    Today, we'll unpack the series capstone - one destination for every next step - and the steps to launch yours.

    =============================

    Table of Contents:

    =============================

    0:00 - Intro

    2:53 - The 7 Building Blocks

    6:20 - Where This Philosophy Came From

    9:20 - Building Block #7: Launch Your Central Hub

    17:03 - Testimonies From Real Churches

    20:38 - How Movie Theaters Get This Right

    24:28 - The Three Rules Of The Central Hub

    33:27 - The Physical On-ramp

    40:06 - Final Thoughts

    IMPORTANT LINKS

    GET YOUR CHAOS SCORE: https://prochur.ch/4bSjIZf

    The 7 Building Blocks PDF: https://prochur.ch/building-blocks

    The Church Communications Masterclass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETNv9BoDzQ

    The Launcher: https://www.nucleus.church/the-launcher

    THE 167 NEWSLETTER

    📫 62,646+ churches read our free newsletter to figure out the 167 hours beyond Sunday service every week. Sign up: https://167.prochurchtools.com


    GET IN TOUCH

    🌍 The Company: https://prochurchtools.com

    🖥️ Nucleus, The Church Website Builder:  https://www.nucleus.church

    📱 SocialSermons, The Social Media Agency For Churches: https://socialsermons.com


    JOIN THE COMMUNITY

    📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bradyshearer

    🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bradyshearer

    🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradyshearer
More Christianity podcasts
About The Pro Church Tools Show with Brady Shearer
Helping your church navigate the biggest communication shift in 500 years. Hosted by Brady Shearer and Alexander Mills.
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