by Heather Pubols

The webinar training for marketing and communications staff working for missions organizations continues in 2023 in winter and spring. These are free to anyone that is a Missio Nexus member or part of a Missio Nexus member organization. A small fee is all that is required for those not in Missio Nexus to attend.

• Thought Leadership for Servant Leaders – Thursday | January 19, 2023 | 2:00pm EST – Presented by Mary Tindall of Caliope Communications.

  We usually hear the term “thought leadership” in a business context. But thought leaders play a critical role in missions, too. They change the world through their ideas, expertise and wisdom. They cast a vision, spark global movements, and inspire others to join them. Building a thought leadership practice looks different for servant leaders who are more focused on furthering the kingdom than building a personal brand.

  In this webinar, we’ll explore principles and practices of thought leadership through the lens of missions advancement. We’ll discuss how to apply thought leadership in a missional context by sharing your ideas through writing, audio and video. For communications staff, we’ll cover the benefits and how-tos of working with your leaders to help spread the great ideas being birthed in your organization.

• How Cause Organizations Can Write Effective Social Media Content for Key Audiences – Thursday | February 23, 2023 | 2:00pm EST – Presented by Julie Johnson Novara of Julie Johnson Writing Services.

  Does writing for social media feel like a chore? Or just another task to check off the to-do list? It doesn’t have to! As a part of a well-planned content strategy, social media marketing can help you build brand trust and expand your reach when you connect with your key audiences.

  In this webinar, we’ll connect the dots between writing for social media and building relationships — a link that’s essential for your mission. We’ll also reveal three (not-so-small!) mistakes to avoid when creating your organization’s social media content.

• Sharing Your Story: Becoming a Media-Savvy Communicator – Thursday | March 30, 2023 | 2:00pm EDT – Presented by Vicky Mixon of Wycliffe USA.

  Today’s 24/7 news cycle environment requires mission leaders to understand how to successfully work with reporters and media influencers to best advocate for their missions. During this webinar, you will learn how the media works, tips for proactively sharing your organization’s stories, do’s and don’ts in an interview, and how to communicate in a crisis.

• Leading with Beauty: Storytelling Foundations – Thursday | April 20, 2023 | 12:00pm EDT – Presented by Grant Klinefelder of Greater Europe Mission.

  In missional communication, it’s easy to let strategy cloud the deeper reason we do what we do. Through this seminar, Grant seeks to provide a theological foundation for why storytelling in missions matter – to highlight the beauty of God. Hear how you can have a deeper understanding behind what you do and how this can re-energize you and your team to tell God’s story through your organization.

• Your Greatest Story Ever Told: How Your Missions Writing Can Reach More Readers – Thursday | May 25, 2023 | 2:00pm EST – Presented by Jeremy Weber of Christianity Today.

  You want more people to care about missions. You have great stories to tell. But your stories don’t get the readership they deserve—especially online where people are information-saturated and time-starved. What can be done? Veteran writer and editor Jeremy Weber explains the technique and strategy behind his award-winning international articles for Christianity Today magazine, as well as how to best repackage them for secondary success on search and social.

Click on the webinar titles for more information and to register. (I’ll be updating these links to point to webinar recordings after the webinars are complete).