There are few things I can do without.

Political rants on Facebook. Coffee snobs. The general sense my body is getting older and therefore finding new ways to fail at operating properly.

But there are many things I can’t do without. For instance, I don’t know where I’d be without pizza. I mean, it hits ALL FOUR FOOD GROUPS SIMULTANEOUSLY people! Superfood.

But among the many things I cannot do without, there are several church communications and leadership podcasts that must be mentioned in no particular order.

The Go-To classics

These are the ones that I’ve either been listening to the longest or I keep coming back to over and over.

ProChurch Podcast

The podcast that started me down the path to becoming a church communicator. Brady knows video, live production, graphic design, and social media like no other. He’s producing so much content nowadays, he very well may explode. I mean literally explode. Try it.

Carey Nieuwhof Leadership

Carey is one of the best when it comes to leadership principles, but he often covers topics related to communications and his interview style is just so. Dang. fascinating. You can’t go wrong here. He always brings the heavy-hitters on the show. Try it.

The Gary V Audio Experience

Gary will drop a lot of expletives. I mean, a LOT. However, if you can “reject the bad and hold on the good here,” you’ll find encouragement and empowerment to try new things and push the boundaries of social media and marketing at your church. Try it.

The Church Communications Podcast

I am proud to call these two friends. They do so much for the church communications world, I couldn’t possibly cover it all. They do their podcast live on FB in the church communications groups on Wednesday nights now and it is my purpose in life to make Darrel grin or chuckle when I comment. I troll these guys hard sometimes, but I love them. Try it.

Social Media Examiner Show

I advise listening to this one when you write things down. It’s so dense with information, there’s no way you’ll remember it all. And the shows are like, 10 minutes long! How do they do that? What they do best is break news and give the BEST insight to social media around. Try it.

Recent Discoveries that Blow my Mind a Little

These podcasts I’ve only recently discovered and I’m loving them.

The Science of Social Media: Buffer Podcast

A jazzy, coffee shop kind of podcast, the Buffer team knows how to combine quality content with pleasant conversation. Much like the Social Media Examiner, but these guys will slow down for you to digest it while driving. Try it.

Heavyweight

This podcast is a clinic in storytelling. Jonathan Goldstein finds interesting stories from his life or beyond and tells them in such a sincere and powerful way. I’ve literally laughed hard and cried driving down the road listening to the same episode with this one. Stupid dust in my eyes… Try it.

Building a Story Brand

Donald Miller has a great podcast that illustrates his Story Brand framework but also captures a lot of practical storytelling lessons in his episodes. The first 7 episodes alone are enough to change your life as a church communicator. Try it.

The Ask Darrel Podcast

When Darrel he drops an episode, I know a few specific things about it. It’s going to be really short. It’s going to be dense with information. And it’s going to be super helpful. The guy’s just good, man. Try it.

Social Media Church podcast

If you don’t know who Nils Smith is, look him up. He’s kind of like the Doctor Who of church communications. He’s sometimes in the forefront, sometimes in the background, but he’s always on the edge of change! Another good friend, this guy was church comms before church comms was cool. Try it.

ChurchM.ag Podcast

The dynamic of this podcast is just quirky enough to work. Lots of practical digital advice that lends itself easily to more liturgical backgrounds. They have a strong theological sense to what they advise and can easily tangent into nostalgic 80’s nerdery, which is always fun. Try it.

The Ones I’m about to try now

I haven’t really listened to these much yet. Either they’re new or I just don’t get around to them much yet. They look good though and I’m about to put them into my rotation to give them a chance.

Two Church Girls and Microphone

A communications Ph.D. and a social butterfly met one day and decided to do a podcast and it’s brilliant. They’ve just gotten started, but both are good friends and I know they know their stuff. I’m excited to see where this one goes. If you’re a smaller church looking for practical social media and communications advice, Jeanette and Meghan are your guides. Try it.

Communicate Church: Fishhook

Fishhook has been around for a while now and have witnessed the evolution of social media several times. Evan McBroom and his team are communication wizards and have a wide range of topics they cover. I look forward to getting into this one. Try it.

Seth Godin’s Startup School

Ok, we share a name, but not personalities. To be honest, I find Seth Godin to be a bit of a boring speaker. However, his content is always solid. I may pick and choose on this one, but there’s no doubt he has a lot to teach me. Try it.

Steve Fogg Communications and Marketing podcast

Steve Fogg’s show seems to be on a pause right now, but that will give me time to catch up on what he has done. Looking through the guest list, he’s got some major players, so I look forward to the rest. Besides, who doesn’t want to listen to an Aussie accent all day, amiright? Try it.

Vanderbloemen Leadership

Featuring many leaders from around the country, Vanderbloemen focuses on how to lead teams well more often than not. It’s valuable for communications directors because many of us have to develop leadership skills to do what we do. Holly Tate has been on The Seminary of Hard Knocks podcast with me and runs this one, so I look forward to learning from her and the guests. Try it.

What are your favorite podcasts? Let me know in the comments and I’ll try them out. Meanwhile, I’d love it if you’d listen to mine, The Seminary of Hard Knocks.

Social media changes rapidly, so a lot of this is trial and error. I share tips and tactics from the trenches of church communications based on my own experiences and hard knocks as well as high-quality guests on the cutting edge. See you there?

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