Winter Ministry Vlog Week ’18 is Coming

Two summers ago, I challenged a bunch of ministry friends of mine who love to blog to think about producing a different kind of content. I was watching a lot of marketing Vloggers on YouTube and thought, ministers can and should be doing this. So, for the past 2 summers, I organized a group of ministry friends for a Summer Ministry Vlog Week (#SMVWeek16 and #SMVWeek17).  

Each Vlogger picked a different topic to discuss and as we discovered the past 2 summers during the Summer Ministry Vlog Weeks, it helped us be better communicators. It was also really great for me to see these ministry veterans who blog and podcast regularly get behind the camera and communicate some ministry lessons via video instead.

As fun as it was doing this with my some friends and ministry partners, I also felt like it was a missed opportunity. See, I  had this desire to open it up and invite more people into the fold and get more people trying to vlog to share a ministry lesson or tip, but I was a little hesitant for some reason or another. Well, that is about to change.

This winter, from February 5th – 9th, I am inviting as many ministers as possible to pick a ministry topic, record it and share as part of the first ever Winter Ministry Vlog Week (#WMVWeek18).

What is this Vlog?

Simply put, a vlog is a video blog. The different between that and a blog is that instead of writing your content, you are sharing it via video form. Vlogging has been around for years but with the popularity of YouTube, vlogging has become increasingly more common for content creators to share their content. I created my channel a few years ago and intermix my vlogs in with my blogs and podcast episodes.

Vlogging can make you self-conscious for sure. But a new opportunity is coming Jan. 24th or 25th from noted Vlogger, Amy Landino. She is hosting a FREE 1 hour webinar with some great tips on how to NOT look stupid when vlogging. I’ve watched many of her videos before so this will be great. You can also check out her Vlogging Tips Playlist.

I’m interested. How do I participate in #WMVWeek18?

To join in on the fun all you have to do is….

• Pick a ministry tip you want to share. This could be any ministry tip such as teaching volunteers how to lead a Bible study or a “how to” tutorial on something you want people to learn.
• Sign up so we know you are participating and we can check out your content. Sign up here.
• Grab your phone or camera, record the tip, and then edit it. Try to keep your vlog around 3-5 minutes. You can go longer if you want, but remember, it is just like giving a message. You want to hook people initially and keep their interest throughout. I have personally found shorter videos work well for that.
• Post it. Since this is your vlog, first post it on your website and/or your YouTube channel so people can keep coming back to your site after they’ve watched your video.
• Share it. After you’ve done all of the above, go on Twitter using the hashtag #WMVWeek18 and/or Digital Bootcamp between Feb. 5th – 9th.

If you want some examples of vlogs that I have done, check out my YouTube Channel (and subscribe while you are at it ;0).

What do you think? Are you ready to record some videos? I hope so as it will be a great week filled with some awesome videos. Share your thoughts below or on social media using the #WMVWeek18 to join the conversation.