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4 Things You Always Must Do if Your Church is Going to Successfully Run Facebook Ads at Easter (if you run them at all)

Daniel · May 13, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Every Easter, churches gear up to start advertising their service(s), hoping to attract potential visitors.

They will spend a few hundred dollars, maybe more, in the hopes that someone will say, “Yeah, I think I’ll visit THAT church.”

Most of that money is wasted.

As someone who has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars running ads for “secular” companies, it makes me cringe when churches say, “I want to run facebook ads for Easter.”

But let me be clear: the issue ISN’T that churches want to run ads on Facebook.

I think that churches SHOULD run ads on Facebook.

The issue is that there is no STRATEGY behind the ads.

And if there is no strategy behind what you are wanting to accomplish with your ads, you WILL be wasting money…and potentially a lot of it.

If your goal is to just run ads a couple weeks before Easter, you are wasting your money.

Why?

Facebook ads help draw people into your church

For one, your cost of ads is going to go up significantly around Easter time. This is because of HOW Facebook shows ads to potential customers. There is a limited amount of “newsfeed” space to show ads to targeted demographic.

So, what happens when churches ALL compete for that space? Prices go up. Your ads will show, but not nearly as often or maybe to be who are less likely to pay attention to them (we call this “lower quality” leads).

But here’s the catch: your ads aren’t just competing against other churches. You are also competing against companies that pour more of their ad budget into Easter sales. That hurts your ad as well.

All this means that if you aren’t going in with a particular strategy, you will blow your budget quickly and your ad won’t get very far.

You need a strategy.

While there are tons of strategies out there (and I would LOVE to craft a specific strategy for your church—reach out to me here), there are some things to do this Easter to maximize your return on your ad spend.

Table of Contents

  • Installing Your Facebook Pixel
  • 2. Use Video
  • 3. Run a Retargeting Ad
  • Gather Information from Visitors
  • Conclusion

1. Make Sure your Facebook Pixel is Installed on Your Website

If you haven’t taken this fundamental step, you aren’t getting the most bang for your buck with Facebook ads.

A Facebook pixel is simply a snippet of code that is installed on your church webpage that tracks user’s activities. It isn’t that hard to install and there are several great websites that walk you through step-by-step how to do it.

If you don’t have it installed though, you are flying blind about how your ad is actually performing. You can see how many people clicked the link (and a few other things), but you aren’t getting the most important data. It is as if your website visitors vanished into thin air.

Install the pixel, get more data. More data lets you run ads more effectively.

2. Use Video

This should be a no-brainer, but I see a lot of churches use static images in their Facebook ad. They CAN work if you have a killer, scroll-stopping image…but video almost ALWAYS works better.

A quick video introducing the church, showing worship inside the church and giving information about the time of service will likely get more attention. Make sure the video is highly quality and runs between 10-15 seconds (not much longer).

3. Run a Retargeting Ad

Anyone who interacts with your first ad (whether by clicking on it, or reacting to it), can be retargeted later with a follow-up ad. Consider doing the following—a reminder of your church service (again, with a video) and another “after Easter” ad where you invite them again to your church.

4. Consider how you are going to get their information.

How will you actually know if people showed up because of your ad? Great question. Consider giving them a special offer—maybe use a lead form to collect their information (which you can set up through Facebook ads), or send them to a landing page where they can enter their email address and get sent a “voucher” which they can use to redeem for a free gift at your church, maybe have them fill out a card saying where they found out about your church…

None of these are perfect. But they could potentially help you gage the success of your ad.

Conclusion

At this point, your head may be swimming. You may be thinking “I don’t have time to do any of this.”

Which is why Facebook ads can get so complicated.

And we haven’t even talked about ad copy writing, how to set this strategy up, bidding strategy, optimization strategies—ALL of which you need to know in order to successfully run Facebook ads.

So why would any church even do this?

Because Facebook ads ARE THAT valuable.

They can help connect your church to a younger demographic and reach people who you never dreamed of reaching before. It’s an immensely valuable tool.

So, here’s my pitch: I’d love to help train your church on how to run them. I’ll even great a full-scale ad-strategy that is specific for your church. I’ll teach your team how to successfully run a campaign from beginning to end.

How to write ad copy that actually persuades.

And all those other pesky details that can come up. In other words, I want to empower your key staff members on how to run ads, so you aren’t dependent on agencies (which charge hundreds and thousands of dollars a month just to run ads). In other words, I’ll teach you how to run ads so you can save thousands of dollars in the future and grow your church.

All for one low hourly rate.

Click the button below to get started with your free consultation.

I want to learn more

3 Things You Should ALWAYS Give Away to Your Virtual Assistant if You Want to Succeed

Daniel · May 13, 2022 · Leave a Comment

The number one issue I encounter when talking with those in ministry isn’t what you think it is.

Every pastor who reaches out to us recognizes they need some form of administrative help. They also recognize that Ministry Assistant Services can save their church a TON of money and time. But without fail THE biggest issue that many pastors don’t know how to give away tasks. They aren’t sure what should be delegated or how to delegate those tasks efficiently and effectively.

In this post what I want to do is outline how to delegate tasks, what tasks to delegate and provide a basic strategy to make sure the delegation process is smooth.

Table of Contents

  • Why Starting with a VA is Hard
  • What Should I Delegate?
    • 1) Tasks You Hate
    • 2) Tasks You Can’t Do
    • 3) Tasks You Shouldn’t Do
  • How Should I Delegate?
  • Best Practices When Delegating Tasks
  • Conclusion

The Problem is the Start

Let me start by saying something really important: hiring a VA will take a LARGE burden off your shoulders, but it DOES require some strategy–and that takes some effort.

In other words, the complexity of delegating comes right at the very start which is why many people simply don’t do it. It requires training, feedback, patience and thoughtfulness.

Many leaders are not prepared to do this and so when something is not quite right, many throw their hands up and say, “This whole VA thing isn’t going to work.”

I use a VA (which I should since I run a VA company), and so I have a lot of experience in this area. The reality is that no matter HOW excellent your VA (and I have AMAZING ones that work for me), they are not mind-readers. I still have to clearly communicate what needs to be done until they learn my patterns and specific needs. There is an inevitable learning curve.

There are several ways to overcome this initial learning curve but they do require time and strategy on the leader’s part. Thankfully, there are some great strategies involved that can really help you make the transition to using a VA easier.

What Should I Delegate?

I used to ask clients what their specific needs were when they scheduled a call with me.

Many were not entirely sure.

I get that. When someone directly asks you “How can I help? What can I take off your plate?” that can be overwhelming. Where to start?

I used to list some of our services that we provide and that sometimes jumpstarts the brainstorming session.

But I have found that really there are three questions that really get to the heart of all delegation. These questions are not unique to me but I have used them and most pastors have found it incredibly helpful to think through their needs this way. I’ll share them now with you.

1) Tasks You Hate

You know the tasks–the ones that suck your soul out of you weekly. These are often the tasks we know NEED to be done but we procrastinate on them. Over time, these unfulfilled tasks can wreak havoc on our mental wellbeing (and get you in hot water with people) We all have these tasks…and 99% of these tasks can be outsourced to a VA.

2) Tasks You Can’t Do

Whether it’s because you don’t have enough time or enough know-how, there are certain tasks that you simply can’t do. Many of these tasks can be outsourced to a VA as well. I continually preach to our employees to develop RANGE in their skill set. This gives them a variety of skills and competencies that allow them to quickly diagnosis and figure out solutions–even to tasks they have never done before.

3) Tasks You Shouldn’t Do

This is by far the hardest one for many pastors to think about. We ALL know those tasks that you are saddled with weekly that you simply shouldn’t be doing. Yet it is SO easy to justify our continued (wasted) effort on these tasks: “It’ll take too long for me to teach someone else how to do it.”

“It doesn’t take me THAT long to do it.” “I don’t want to waste money on a task that I could do.” “People will think I am lazy for giving this task to someone else.” “I don’t HATE doing this task–I just wish I didn’t have to.”

Let me get as real as possible: there are tasks that are simply NOT your responsibility and are costing you FAR MORE than you think. The reality is that when you are doing tasks you shouldn’t be doing, you are losing time, energy, and focus–all of which are limited quantities. You will be a more productive leader when you get rid of those tasks you shouldn’t be doing.

More tasks does not equal great productivity.

More tasks in your wheelhouse equals great productivity. And that’s what hiring a VA can do–get you into your wheelhouse.

How Should I Delegate?

A handshake symbolizing how to give away tasks to your virtual assistant.

Now that we’ve explored WHAT you should delegate, we need to develop a basic strategy of HOW you should delegate tasks.

I have found Michael Hyatt INCREDIBLY helpful here. In his book Free to Focus, he talks about “5 Levels of Delegation.” Determining your level of delegation also determines your how. To summarize the five levels:

Level one: you want the person to do exactly what you’ve ask them to do–nothing more or less.

Level two: you want the person to examine or research and topic and report back to you–nothing more.

Level three: you give the person more room to operate and problem solve, but you reserve the final decision for yourself.

Level four: you want the person to evaluate the options, make the decision on their own, execute it and then give you an update afterward.

Level five: you hand over the entire project or task to someone else and exit the decision making process entirely.

99.9% of the time, our VAs operate in the first three levels. Realistically, this is Ministry Assistant Services’ sweet spot. We like the first three levels like a pig likes mud. While we CAN operate in the fourth and fifth level, we have found that this is difficult to do when working with institutions. It is much easier to perform levels four and five if you are hiring our VAs to personally assist YOU.

Best Practices When Delegating Tasks

So here are some “best practices” when delegating tasks.

First, communicate and then communicate…and then communicate. We can’t read minds. Be crystal clear in what you want done and your preferences.

Second, it is helpful (though not necessary) if you either type out the step-by-step instructions for reference or record a one time training video. This lessens the learning curve on our end and will ensure you get what you want right away.

Third, use bullet points in communicating. We LOVE bullet points and it will help you see the progression of your own thinking.

Fourth, if relevant, give us samples of what you like. This helps us make sure we deliver a similar level of quality and will allow us to see your expectations.

Conclusion

As you can see, the first few weeks of delegating tasks can take a bit of time. However, simple math will tell you that if it takes you two hours to train and delegate tasks that eat up ONLY 30 minutes a week, you will break even in a month and net an extra DAY a year.

Now consider the fact that you are probably dealing with HOURS of tasks weekly that eat up your time. Delegation will save you a lot of time, stress and frustration. It is worth the initial work. So, are you ready to take the leap and hire a VA?

Schedule a free 20-minute consultation with me and let’s talk about your objectives. You can get started quickly, for one low hourly rate and start feeling the relief of having a team working for you.

I’m ready to get started!

Our “Brand” is Ministry

Daniel · May 13, 2022 · Leave a Comment

At Ministry Assistant Services, our brand is ministry.

When we first started Ministry Assistant Services seven years ago, my wife and I asked the question “How do we position ourselves within the larger virtual assistant world?” We knew we wanted to help pastors and advance the kingdom of God. We saw that need and we wanted to address it.

7 years later, things haven’t changed for us. That is what our “brand” is all about and always will be–our “brand” is ministry. We aren’t trying to get fancy. We don’t try to elevate our prices in order to increase our bottom line. We don’t want to ONLY deal with big clients with massive budgets (though we have those). We are interested in the small churches with only 20-50 people in attendance.

We love the churches with an older demographic. We adore the church plant that is attracting millennials. We are pumped about the itinerant evangelist, the parachurch organization–every one who is passionate about advancing the kingdom. We aren’t trying to be cool (though I think we are pretty cool). We aren’t trying to be flashy. We just want to do work with excellence and efficiency so that your ministry can focus on what it does best. This is part of our DNA at Ministry Assistant Services. We have a set of team principles that we continually reference as a company. Part of that principle says:

We want to help those who feel like they are drowning. We want to free up pastors who just don’t have time. We want to give families their dad and mom back. We want to prevent pastoral burnout. We want to save the church time and money. We want lives to be transformed because the leadership could STOP worrying about the administrative details and focus on the people.This is OUR ministry.This is who we are. Always. Forever. No matter how big we get.

So, are you looking for a VA team who cares about your ministry as much as you do? Reach out today by scheduling a brief 20-minute call with me so I can learn more about your unique ministry needs! We offer affordable pricing for churches of any size. I am looking forward to talking with you! -Daniel Pandolph

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What is a Ministry Virtual Assistant?

Daniel · May 13, 2022 · Leave a Comment

A church where a ministry virtual assistant might help.

Many of our clients come to me and say “We’ve tried using a virtual assistant in the past and it didn’t go well. Why should we use you?” That’s a great question and an important one. Why should you use a ministry virtual assistant? Let me give you several reasons why you would want to try our team.

First, everyone on our team is a Christian.

We may come from various denominational backgrounds but we ALL have three things in common: 1) We love Jesus, 2) We love the local church, 3) We love pastors.

This means we believe that Jesus really is the hope of the entire world. It means we believe that the local church (and parachurch organizations) play an instrumental role in sharing that hope with the entire world.

Finally, it means that we believe that pastors have a critically important role to play in facilitating the equipping and sending of people into the world with the hope of the Gospel.

I believe that this should shape the way we do ministry and run our company. We are first and foremost practitioners of the Gospel and believe in the power of the local church to radically transform lives.

Second, everyone on our team understands the unique pressures pastors and ministry leaders face.

Let me be abundantly clear on this point: you cannot overvalue the face that every member of my team understands the unique pressures facing pastors today. If you are going to be in the trenches of ministry with an assistant, you want an assistant who “gets” what you are going through and why certain events are so important. We under stand communication, administration and social media.

You want a VA who understands that EVERY piece of communication you put out to the church needs to be excellent because it is a reflection on YOU. We get that. We emphasize that repeatedly on our team. You can trust that we are tracking with where you are at.

Third, we live by a Christian code of ethics that impacts how we do business.

When you employ us, you can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to make sure you feel comfortable, encouraged and confident that you are getting the best work done. We keep you up-to-date with your hours and will NEVER go over your hours unless authorized to.

We will figure out ways to maximize the amount of work you get done. We will bend over backwards to make sure that you are pleased with what is happening. In other words: we want to run a business that gives good customer service.

But we do this because we believe that that is what Jesus wants us to do. We think that running a business ethically glorifies God. And that drives what we do. Because at the end of the day, we want to see the Kingdom of God advance. We want to see your ministry thrive. We want to see YOU thrive as a leader.

So go ahead and schedule a free consultation with me today and learn about our low pricing. It won’t take more than 20 minutes and could change your ministry forever.

I’m Ready to Get Started

How Prayer Helps Productivity and 7 Tips to Experience It

Daniel · May 13, 2022 · Leave a Comment

A woman sitting in prayer with the Bible open

Martin Luther once wrote, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

I have long been convicted over this quote for a variety of reasons. First, I am absolutely amazed at Luther’s discipline to pray for three hours. It is tough for many people to pray in a concentrated manner for just a minute. Second, Luther’s love for God is apparent. For him, to commune with God was the top priority of the day. All else was second. Third, I really like the calmness by which Luther approaches his day: one thing at a time with God at the center of it all. There is a calmness and flow that I think is so rare today.

But one dimension I think is worth exploring is Luther sees prayer as a means of being able to accomplish all he is going to do for the rest of the day. In other words, Luther realized his productivity and prayer life were intimately connected.

But how?

If you’re like me, I sometimes want to dive immediately into my workday. Prayer, while very important, feels almost like an impediment for getting things done. I mean, there are pressing deadlines and emails that need to get sent! There are people to be visited! I have to read my Bible and prepare the sermon!

(By the way, if you want a virtual assistant to handle those crazy tasks, click here to have a free, twenty-minute consultation with me and we can get you started).

I wonder, however, what our days would look like if we spent time quietly in prayer? While Productivity is not the chief goal of prayer, but a beautiful byproduct of communing with our God.

But, I believe that in order to receive that byproduct (or grace), there is a certain quality of mindset and prayer that must be achieved.

What Doesn’t Work

Hear me out: anytime spent in prayer is good. But I think to truly experience the peace of mind through prayer that leads to productivity and focus requires discipline. There are a few types of prayers that I find myself praying that actually don’t transform me or give me time to really experience the beauty and depth of prayer.

1) The Autopilot Prayer

I am a big fan of scripted prayers. In fact, I use The Valley of Vision in my prayer life frequently. I am not talking about those kinds of prayers. I am talking about the kind of prayers that you mumble before you eat (or as you already have Chick-Fil-A halfway in your mouth). Or maybe you say a quick prayer before you travel and it is the same prayer every time. The problem with this sort of prayer is it almost functions as a magic talisman rather than true communing with God. Prayer that is done on autopilot is seldom the kind of prayer that deeply engages the heart, soul or mind.

2) The Arrow Prayer

I use arrow prayers all the time–these are prayers I pray right before I am about to on stage, speak with a client, have to send a tough email, or am preparing to do a complicated task. These are quick prayers that typically go something like, “God, I am nervous about this task. Will you please help me?” These are necessary prayers and we see them used in Scripture (I am sure Daniel shot a few up to God right as he was going into the den of lions). However, the prayer is far too short to be the kind of prayer that sets the tone for your day.

These are not the types of prayer that lead to a productive day if this is ALL you do. They are quick bursts of gasoline on a fire–not a sustainable flow of fuel for the day.

3) The To-Do List Prayer

This is the type of prayer where you simply pull out your list of things to pray for and go down it until you are done. It isn’t bad to have a list (I do). But it is FAR too easy to just read off the list like you are telling your spouse what to get at the grocery store. In fact, this is a problem with prayer models that use acronyms like A.C.T.S or whatever. They quickly become just a thing to check-off before moving on to the next step.

What Does Work

I have found a few things help me pray longer and feel more refreshed after prayer. Keep in mind that these are not magic. These steps do not guarantee you’ll be more godly. God doesn’t love you more if you do these steps. However, I think there are some good principles here that will help you get more out of prayer.

Take Deep Breaths

First, when you sit down to pray, make sure you take a few deep breaths. This helps for a variety of reasons: it functions as a trigger to let your brain know that you are getting ready to spend time with God, it slows down your heart rate, and it primes you to focus.

Settle Into Your Surroundings

Second, when you close your eyes make sure to settle into your surroundings. This means before you start praying, take a minute or so to listen to the sounds around you and to sense how your body feels. This is helpful so that you aren’t distracted by other noises when they occur. You are familiar with what is around you and how your body feels currently. This will help you pray longer.

Don’t Get Discouraged

Third, when you get distracted in your prayer, don’t get discouraged. Rather, simply draw your attention gently back to prayer. When you realize you’ve gotten distracted you can simply label your thought by saying “Thinking” or if you have a strong emotion, “Feeling” and then moving back to prayer. This technique is used in traditional meditation practices but I have found it helpful in prayer because I get off-track so easily (thinking about the rest of my day, plans, fears, stresses…whatever).

Just Talk

Fourth, spending time quietly before saying anything and simply thanking God for meeting with you in prayer has been great. It helps me realize that God is really with me. My prayer is not a performance or a monologue. Sometimes I will sit quietly, just enjoying the reality that God is with me. Sometimes I will feel nothing, and that’s ok. I simply thank God that he is with me and has given me the chance to engage with him.

Put Away Your Phone

Fifth, turning off my phone and putting it far away from me is one of the best things you can do. The temptation to continually look at my phone while praying or even seeing a notification pop-up on my phone is an immense distraction. This goes the same for your computer as well if you are at your desk. Turn it off. Don’t let anything distract you.

Set a Timer

Sixth, it may be helpful for you to practice praying a set amount of time at first. If you are struggling to maintain focus, it will probably take some time to discipline your focus enough to pray for a sustained time. So try praying for five minutes straight at first. Then work up to ten, then 15 and then 20. From there, try longer sessions like 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

Create Boundaries

Seventh, make sure to let nothing disturb you during this time. Lock your door. Turn off your ringer. Tell your assistant to not schedule anything for this time. This is YOUR time with God. This is the time to get prepared to meet your God and enjoy him. Take that task seriously.

So How Does Prayer Help Productivity?

First, I think it helps put things in perspective. You aren’t endlessly having an inner dialogue about your problems or concerns. You are reminded that God is sovereign over the situation.

Second, it helps get the problems out of your head. For me this is a huge reason I like to pray–it helps cage my crazy thoughts and prayer helps me organize what I have facing me.

Third, it gives me peace. It reminds me I am not in control of the world. I have a part to play but at the end of the day, I am not God. Fourth, it gives me focus. I have trained my brain to be able to focus on the task of talking with God and when I am finished, my brain feels focused to tackle the next issue and the next. Prayer is great training for the brain.

Fifth, it makes me more aware of the present moment. In prayer, I am forced to be completely present with God. My task is not to let my brain wander off. So as a result, I become more present and aware of right now. I carry that mindset into the rest of my day. Sixth, it gives my day organization. I know that my task every day is to pray. My day is structured around prayer. When I finish praying, I feel accomplished–not only because I prayed but because I communed with the Father.

One Final Thing

It can still be tough to pray when you have a daunting to-do list ahead of you. I know. I’ve been there. When I was in ministry I felt on the verge of burnout because I let these tiny tasks eat at my time–including my time with God. I started Ministry Assistant Services for this reason: to help you reclaim your time for effective ministry (like praying!). My team of ministry assistants can help take those tasks that are eating up your time and can get them done while you are focusing on what the job God has called you to do.

You can click below to schedule a free, twenty-minute consultation with me. Of course, I want you to use our services. But more than that I want you to have a sustainable ministry and a deeper walk with God. I don’t want you to burnout. I want you to thrive.

So I would encourage you, even if you NEVER use our services, make sure you find someone to take those tasks off your plate. Don’t let your walk with God suffer.

I’m Ready to Get Started

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