Two years ago, the FCC banned the sale of 700 MHz wireless microphones, and by June 2010, U.S. churches were prohibited to use them.

Now 19 months later, many churches are still using their 700 MHz wireless mics and risk the FCC confiscating their equipment and fines of $10,000-$112,500 or imprisonment.

While I haven’t heard of a single church being punished yet, don’t assume these are empty threats. I expect the grace period to run out sometime soon, and the FCC to gradually make examples of select violators.

Why 700 Mhz Microphones are Prohibited

Radio frequencies are limited, and the world is beginning to run out of space for all of the tech devices we want to stream across the airwaves. All frequencies between 698-806 MHz are now reserved for public emergency services, such as police and fire departments. Unfortunately, that means that thousands of 700 MHz church wireless microphones are now illegal.

To see the FCC’s list of illegal microphones, click here.

The Solution

Obviously, you need to buy new microphones, but you need ones that work in your geography. The FCC has designated select TV frequencies to be used, and the frequencies that will work for you depend on your local TV station coverage. And for churches that max out their designated TV frequencies, they can register for temporary exclusion during their services.

Free Consulting

Rather than trying to figure this all out on your own, Skylark Audio Video is offering free consulting to guide you through what steps to take and what gear you need. They can even help you save some money by purchasing your upgraded microphones direct from the manufacturers.

Call 888-365-7770 or email info@skylarkav.com to get started.

Skylark Audio Video is cleaning out their warehouse and offering some great deals on church audio, video, and lighting equipment.

The sale only lasts 48 hours (through December 29th) and while supplies last, so be quick to call 888-365-7770 or email info@skylarkav.com to get the special deals on this gear.

Year End Sale Special Deals

Aviom A-16II Personal Mixer
only $500

Aviom 16/o-Y1 A-Net Card for Yamaha Consoles
only $700

Aviom AN-16/o v.4 16-Channel Output Module
only $900

Sennheiser EW300 Series Wireless Microphone System
only $800

Sennheiser EW300 Series Wireless In-Ear Monitor System
only $800

Chauvet LED Par56 56-24B Lighting Fixture
only $150

Chauvet LED COLORado Batten 72 TOUR Lighting Fixture
only $700

Chauvet LED COLORado 2 Lighting Fixture
only $950

Over the past year, I have taken on side projects to help fund Open Church. A few months ago, I was given the providential opportunity to join the team at Skylark Audio Video to lead their rebranding and ongoing communications.

Formerly known as AVi Worship, Skylark Audio Video was founded in 2005 by recognizing churches’ need for more attentive care and financially responsible audio, video, and lighting systems without compromising high-end performance.

Although young, Skylark is one of the few church audio video companies that LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK) chooses to work with. While popular among multi-site churches, Skylark also helps church plants take their first steps and 100-year-old landmarks overhaul their church audio while still preserving their historic character.

4 REASONS WHY I JOINED SKYLARK

What I appreciate most about Skylark is their emphasis on high performance, frugality, relationships, and the client’s best interests.

1. High Performance Technology
   If you are going to get a church audio, video, and lighting system, you need an AV company that stays current, knows their stuff, and can turn all the talk into reality. While you should never base your decision solely on an AV company’s technical prowess, you should never choose one that lacks it.
2. Frugality
   This is where Skylark really stands out. Some churches think they need the most expensive equipment or to build everything now for the future. What they don’t realize is they can almost always slash their expenses without sacrificing tech quality by choosing more reasonably priced gear and designing the church AV system for scalability and add-ons when needed. The opposite is also true. Penny-pinching to the extreme costs more in the long-run because cutting-corners leaves you with gear that can’t perform until you upgrade. Skylark gives each church advice on where to spend and where to save in order to meet their goals.
3. Relationships
   Skylark regards their clients as friends and family. We work to understand how your church operates and then customize their approach to mesh with your team. The goal is to create less work for you and your organization. When the focus is on relationships and not a business bottom line, it is much easier to ensure each church is happy, taken care of, and using Skylark for years to come.
4. Your Best Interests
   Making your best interests Skylark’s top focus doesn’t make sense to some businessmen. It means spending more time. It can mean sacrificing some paycheck to get you the best solution (not the priciest one). But Skylark does audio, video, and lighting because they love it, and they learned quickly that focusing on your best interests is Skylark’s best interests because it keeps clients coming back, and it helps the cause of Christ.

Before I joined the team at Skylark, Marcus Walker (the founder) and I had several conversations to determine if we were a mutually good fit. I asked, “What values unify your team and drive their performance?” And I love his answer.

We don’t say what are values are. They just are. What unifies us is the constant pursuit to be better than we were on the last job. The quest to learn more and do things better unifies us. We love our job. We are doing what we love and getting paid for it, and it actually means something.

FREE CHURCH CONSULTING

One of the ways Skylark serves churches is by offering free audio, video, and lighting consulting. No strings attached. You need a church AV system that meets your goals, fits within your budget, and works for your facility. We would love to start a conversation to identify what is the best solution for you.

Call 888-365-7770 to get started.

As Twitter has risen in popularity, so has its use among ministers to discuss ministry ideas, dogmas, and methodologies. Each ministry niche centers around a Twitter hashtag.

By definition, a hashtag is when the # symbol is used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. It was created organically by Twitter users as a way to categorize messages.

But before you can join in the discussion, you first need to figure out what are Twitter’s popular hashtags for ministry and churches. Here are some common ministry hashtags:

Children’s Ministry: #cmconnect // #kidmin

@tijuanabecky
RT @jeffmcclung: Ministry doesn’t just happen in a office. It happens where people are. #kidmin #fammin #stumin #cmconnect

@SavedSister7
It all goes back to teaching the Word in a way that children can grasp & start being doers of the Word now. - @jimwideman #theClub #kidmin

Church: #church // #churches

@Jaredrdunn
Ministry Dream Team Attributes: Character (who we are), Knowledge (what we know), & Skills (what a person is able to do). #Church #Ministry

@WTJank
In the USA, there are approximately 400,000 #churches and 6,000 first-run theaters. Which do you think affects our #culture more?

College Ministry: #collegemin // #umin

@danwboles
#collegemin RT @chronicle Community college students who take online courses more likely to drop out new study finds chroni.cl/qoxByQ

@tapounder
It’s earning season in the business world. What would your earnings look like in ministry? http://ht.ly/5IUbc #thinkorange #stumin #umin

Creative Arts: #churchmedia // #crtvmin

@LifeChurchOPEN
FREE colorful background loops at http://ow.ly/5J7is #worshiploopwednesday #churchmedia

@whitneygeorge
Don’t make announcements, tell stories. Very few respond to announcements but stories connect with everyone. #crtvmin

Family Ministry: #fammin

@chrissprad
The more designer our lives, the more generic our kids seem to be!! http://ow.ly/5IGXr #kidmin #stumin #fammin

Ministry: #ministry

@rmKocak
“A life of prayer is the connective tissue between holy day proclamation and weekday discipleship.” - Eugene Peterson on #ministry #fb

Missions: #missions

@suechil
Hands-on missions projects for children. Click link for a list of missionaries & their wish lists. http://bit.ly/olGJUd #kidmin #missions

Pastoral: #pastor // #pastors

@PastorJoeDutton
#PASTOR you spend so much time encouraging ur flock & destroy urself in the office thinking “how bad u did”… Get free of that devil!

@ISS_Injoy
Unless #God moves in my heart, He will never get the best of my time, talent, and wallet. And I’ll never get the best of Him. #Pastors

Special Needs Ministry: #spnmin

@gutsygrace
Celebrate when your church ministers to families affected by disability but don’t turn them into mascot stories #SpNMin #kidmin

Technology: #churchtech // #citrt

@CrossWiredMin
Government shutting down hundreds of data centers http://t.co/rIrCtkQ via @cnet #churchtech #citrt #digitaldisciples

@JasonPowell
Server rack temps much more even after rack relocation & we’ve added no cooling into the space #citrt http://post.ly/2TULq

Worship: #worship // #sundaysetlist

@krayhall
Abba doesn’t care about sound systems, lighting, or instruments. He cares about your heart. #worship #fb

@paulbaloche
I get to lead tmrw. Lord reign in me, We are Saved (new), Lord I give u my heart, Joy will come #Sundaysetlist

Youth Ministry: #stumin // #uthmin // #youthmin // #youthministry

@brockstamps
“Average” should never describe your ministry or what happens in it. #stumin #aylacog #ayla11

@timothyeldred
“Quick to listen. Slow to speak.” (James 1:19). How would this verse applied change #uthmin? Please wade in! #stumin #uthdoingmin

@NateWorthington
Parenting tip #46: Encourage compassion over competition, especially between siblings. #parenting #kidmin #youthmin #familymin

@jbshankle
Realizing more and more how we model the kind of people our children and students will become #youthministry

What ministry hashtags do you use that aren’t mentioned?

There are several free online Bibles I use from time to time. Each has its own unique flavor and loyal following. And all of them offer an impressive long list of translations.

Where they differ is special features. If you are looking to study Bible verses, plan a sermon, or create an online study group, Bible Study Tools (www.BibleStudyTools.com) has developed the world’s largest online Bible resource site.

6 Features Worth Checking Out

1. 45+ Translations
   Bible Study Tools features a growing number of Bible versions, including translations in English, German, French, Italian, and Latin.
2. Largest Online Library of Bible Resources
   Choose from well-known and respected Bible commentaries, concordances, dictionaries, and encyclopedias and enjoy access to the Apocrypha, lexicons, and historical works. This library includes the insights of John Calvin, Matthew Henry, Charles Spurgeon, and C.I. Scofield and features such classics as the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Nave’s Topical Bible, Fox’s book of Martyrs, and The Works of Flavius Josephus.
3. Reading Plans & Devotionals
   Begin a trackable Bible reading plan or choose from an extensive list of devotionals by many of Christianity’s most recognizable pastors, authors, and theologians.
4. Pastor Resources
   Get help planning your sermons by reading articles on effective preaching by respected ministers and search for sermons and illustrations using Bible Study Tool’s extensive database.
5. Personalize Your Experience
   Use the “My Bible” features to personalize the website with your own Bible study notes, highlights, tags and bookmarks.
6. Community Groups & Events
   BibleStudyTools.com also includes tools to allow small groups and Sunday school classes to create group pages for studying Scripture together online and event pages for connecting offline.

It is a generous selection of features that takes some time to delve through it all. And it is particularly exciting to see the valuable publications from their library made available for free online.

Special thanks to BibleStudyTools.com for supporting Church Relevance by sponsoring this post.

SoChurch is offering 5% off their plans with the coupon code “kshaffer” (case sensitive).

SoChurch is a new church communications platform that launched this month that offers church member management, group management, social media integration, prayer requests, email blasts, event management, and needs & gifts all with the support of mobile apps and analytics (for premium plans). SoChurch can also integrate with Arena or Fellowship One church management software.

If interested, check out more details at SoChurch.com and enjoy the 5% discount with promo code “kshaffer” (case sensitive).

Not only do you get a discount, but you also help support Church Relevance by using the affiliate code.

It has been over a year since I blogged about Clover church websites. This year Clover has released 12 new features that make it an entirely new product.

Clover has been generous enough to support ChurchRelevance.com for over 2.5 years, but this post isn’t an ad. Instead this post is my written admiration and appreciation for what I believe is one of the most user-friendly, powerful, and all-inclusive church website solutions available.

This year Clover completely overhauled their content management system, Greenhouse, and relaunched it with the following 12 new features:

• New Media Player
• Podcasting
• New Calendar
• Password Protected Pages
• Font Sizing Options
• New Dashboard
• Linking Within Site
• Image Slideshow
• Linkable Pictures
• Photo Albums
• List Pages
• Form Pages

Clover is low cost and super convenient. Despite being Flash-based, each site is search engine optimized. Of course, like any content management system, Clover is what you make it. The default templates are beautiful, but be careful you don’t get carried away with odd choices for fonts, colors, and more.

Clover isn’t for everyone, but I’d recommend it for the majority of churches.

The YouVersion Bible App has a very special webcast planned for Tuesday, November 16th at noon CST. Here’s what you can expect:

•    News about a huge milestone that YouVersion just reached
•    An inside look at some big things coming up, and
•    Vision for where they believe God is taking YouVersion in the future and how you can play a part.

They’re also going to have some fun and celebrate by giving away three iPads. YouVersion has been sending tweets to announce the webcast and will automatically register you to win if you retweet those tweets, post about the webcast on your Facebook wall, or if you tweet about the event with a mention (@YouVersion).

Visit www.youversion.com/webcast for all the details.
Add it to your calendar.
And invite some friends.

In fact, you can start the celebration early by finding and helping one friend install the YouVersion Bible App on their phone.