The annual update from Communications Director Mike Crudge for 2024.
Listen to Mike's update in The Lowdown podcast.
It continues to be my privilege to serve our collective of faith communities through the Baptist National Support Centre. We are making progress with our communication plan. Much of my area of work is detailed here: baptist.nz/resources/communication
A few highlights:
Usage of the Baptist NZ app increases, as does the baptist.nz website and engagement with content via Facebook.
The bi-monthly printable A4 PDF newsletter is being used in churches where [typically] older people don’t access content digitally – local churches print/photocopy and distribute this for their people who used to read and now miss the paper Baptist magazine: baptist.nz/print
There have been 210 written pieces of content published over the past year on your communication platform, averaging close to 4 pieces each week. The most popular Baptist NZ app push notification option is the ‘Weekly content update’ that comes out on a Sunday night as a reminder of the new written and podcast content over the past week – please continue to encourage your church members to turn this notification on so they can stay up-to-date with the variety of content and resources they are enabling to exist. The most popular written content in 2024 has been the 5-part series of articles on Israel and Palestine: Twenty-one questions by Philip Church which was based on questions from readers – baptist. nz/philip-church.
Our most popular website content in 2024:
- Article, news & stories
- Job vacancies
- Karakia/prayers in te reo Māori
- Find a local Baptist church
- Podcasts
- Contact National Support Centre
- Governance and constitution consultation
- Serious Misconduct consultation
The backbone of our content is the wide range of volunteers who share stories from their local contexts, or write articles, columns, education pieces, or give their time to craft podcast shows or be interviewed for episodes. Thank you!!
There are seven established written columns and columnists providing regular content from a range of topics and perspectives: baptist.nz/resources/communication/columns
Podcasts continue to be an achievable way to present content with around one-in-five New Zealanders listening to this medium. This past year saw the creation of three new shows:
CareyOPEN which literally opens up some of our Carey Baptist College campus world for us all to listen in to – check out the great biblical teaching through the pastoral epistles this year.
A Beautiful Work podcast is mostly for pastors and those thinking about it or wanting to learn more about this particular area of Christian ministry.
The Lowdown podcast came after Hui 2023 feedback to make the pre-Hui reading and other Hui info assessable via audio so that it was easier to consume – e.g: while Hui delegates travel to Hui they can get the lowdown through their ear-buds or car stereo.
There is a new podcast series by Steve Worsley on church and the climate crisis out in February 2025. There is another investigative series being worked on that should be ready to release by autumn.
See all our podcast shows here: baptist.nz/podcasts.
The rollout of the EzyChurch app for any local church that wants to communicate with their people this way has been a year late due to complications with the way push notifications have been working (or not!) in the Android version – with around 55% of mobile device users being on the Android operating system it is crucial it works well for everyone before we activate this. I am sorry this has taken much longer than expected.
You can view the introduction material about how the app will work here: baptist.nz/resources/communication/local-church-app
And watch a 30-second video that will help congregations see how they could use the app for internal church communication and giving.
The Support Centre will cover the ongoing cost of a local Baptist church having the app; there will be a $100 initial setup cost. The EzyChurch app will bring together local church communications, including push notifications, events, mobile and web giving, sermon notes and recordings (video and audio, including a local church having its own podcast channel that can connect with Spotify and Apple Podcasts), forms, Infoodle integration, social media connection, AirPlay and Chromecast compatibility, and more. Click here for details about the EzyChurch app on their website.
Hundreds of dollars continue to be saved by our ‘Team of 40,000’ Baptists using the ‘Discounts’ section of the Baptist NZ app – there are now more than 50 places we can get discounts – I use this feature several times a month. The best bargains I’ve heard people in our churches getting is from JB Hifi on electronic stuff.
The Editorial Advisory Group that was set up eighteen months ago has been dis-established. The idea for this diverse group of skilled volunteers was to oversee the content on the Baptist NZ platform (website, the Baptist NZ app, printable newsletters, and social media), ensuring it is fulfilling the objectives of the Baptist Union. It was a good idea but ahead of its time considering the development stage of the platform. A plan is to re-establish this group again in the future.
Thank you to the five people who made up this group: Shania Norman, Elesha Gordon, Jonan Castillon, Sophie Bond, and Andrew Baldwin.
I am the advertised Baptist NZ contact for media, public communication and statements. I am also available to help local churches and staff when requested. There have been several situations this year where I have supported local churches or engaged directly with media representatives.
Our communication mechanism – and I say ‘our’ because it is the platform of all of the churches in union together – and it’s an expression of our desire to connect with each other because of being in union. Our communication in this way will only be good and used if there is great content that is helpful. We rely on the skills/gifts of those among our collective of faithcommunities who produce articles, tell stories, share news, offer opinions, create podcast episodes, etc. I thank those who contribute in this way. If you know of someone in your church who would be great at creating in this space, please encourage them to check out this webpage: baptist.nz/creatives or get in touch with me: [email protected].
This update is from the 2024 Annual Report of the Baptist Churches of New Zealand, which you can view here.
Photo: Either Mike Crudge singing a CCM song, or presenting the biannual Listener's Choice Podcast Awards at Hui 2023. Photo by Morgan Dews.
