Samford University to host church media workshop

Samford University to host church media workshop

Samford University will host a church media workshop Aug. 19 on its campus in Birmingham. The workshop is co-sponsored by the university’s department of journalism and mass communication and the office of communication.

The one-day training event is designed for small and medium-sized churches that need basic help with writing, website, advertising, social media, public relations, event planning and television/radio production. The workshop will be especially beneficial for ministers, other professional staff, support staff and lay volunteers who assist with media and event needs, according to Bernie Ankney, chair of Samford’s journalism and mass communication department.

The workshop will be from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Participants also are invited to an evening networking reception Aug. 18 hosted by Samford President Andrew Westmoreland and his wife, Jeanna. The reception, while optional, will give participants an opportunity to learn from others and to share experiences, Ankney said.

Workshop leaders will be church and nonprofit media professionals, including Marilane Mesler of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham; Andy Evans of Provenance Digital Media in Birmingham; Justin Firesheets of Church of the Highlands, Birmingham; and Philip Poole of Samford.

The luncheon keynote speaker will be Scott Seal, executive director of PowerPoint Ministries at Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, Texas. Seal will talk about how social media can transform a church’s communication and outreach.

To register and for more information, visit www.samford.edu/churchmedia. (SU)