Connected to Glorify God
Charged with facilitating communication and coordination for our worldwide cooperating churches and their leaderships.
Subcommittees
- Roger Lamb, Chair – Boston
- ICOC HotNews: Mike Taliaferro – San Antonio
- ICOC Church Directory: Paul Ramsey – Columbia, SC; Lai-Yan Faller, Portland, Maine
- ICOC Leadership Communications: Roger Lamb – Boston
- Online Services: Jonathan Hoggard – Denver; Jeff Mannel – St. Louis
- SEO & Reputation Management: Justin Renton – Johannesburg, S Africa
- Technology: Chris Walquist – Chicago
Disciples Today: Roger Lamb, CEO
As the official media for the ICOC, Disciples Today’s mission is to inspire, inform, unify and grow the International Churches of Christ. As our churches grow, it is even more imperative that we remain connected and find new ways to reach those who are seeking God. Thank you to the churches representing 80% of our fellowship who support us.
Recent highlights at DT include:
- Over 2 million hits per year from 160 countries on thousands of articles on the 14 websites in the DToday portal, including global conversion and missions stories and news from each of our focused ministries in our churches.
- Facebook pages for Disciples Today, ICOC, Families, Campus, etc.
- Updated Church and Campus Locators
- DToday.tv: hundreds of video lessons from respected preachers including our large conferences like Reach2016.
- New ICOC app customizable for your church releasing in 2017! (see below)
- Partnership with HOPEww communications + online fundraising
- New online services offered to connect people searching for God with disciples in local churches
- myDTConnect website for commended professional services including Christian Professionals Conference
ICOC Leadership Communications:
- ICOC Leadership site for communication and transparency
- Coordination of ICOC Service Teams
- Communications among leaders are sent out frequently during the year
- Conference communications and promotions are done through Disciples Today
ICOC HotNews
HotNews Videos are the “Official News Video” of the ICOC. In 2016, we sent 25 short videos to roughly 600 churches around the world. They typically run about 3-4 minutes. The videos are translated from English into Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese. We have won awards for our dramatic short videos two years in a row at two of the largest Christian Film Festivals in the USA. Click here to see some of the past HotNews videos on YouTube.
This year HOPEww has asked HotNews to produce a HOPEww news video each month. Churches and mission societies are also sending HotNews “on location” to places like Western Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Middle East, in order for their supporting churches to have a close up look. Special contributions are being helped by the videos.
This July HotNews is producing, along with Blue Compass Media, the documentary film, “Finding Guy.” It will premiere at a Christian purity seminar in North Carolina this summer. This is a film that we hope all our churches will use to host a movie night. Not all churches can have Guy Hammond come and visit, but all of us can use the film to communicate his message.
Please be praying for us at HotNews Videos. We are committed to bringing you great video content every month! If you have any questions or want to receive the HotNews videos, please contact Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro at [email protected] or Nathan at [email protected] for more info.
ICOC Church Directory: Paul Ramsey, Lai-Yan Faller
Each year as a volunteer, Paul collects basic vital signs from our churches around the world. These are reported to our leadership and the membership and contact information is published on our ICOC Church Directory, the most viewed section of Disciples Today, that helps members and guests find information about our 684 churches in 150 countries.
DT Online Services: Jonathan Hoggard, Jeff Mannel
God brought us incredible partners who provided DT with our largest donations ever to build a cutting edge app for our churches that will:
- connect church members to each other and leadership
- connect disciples to our global fellowship
- connect people looking for God to our members.
Due to these donations, the app is free to ICOC churches for the first year.
Jonathan Hoggard, PhD in Digital Media, and Executive Director of Disciples Today is leading this project and the development in partnership with Rally4. We are excited that through the generosity of the donor, Disciples Today was able to bring Jeff Mannel onto the team as the Church App Marketing Director. Jeff has 30 years experience in the ministry and led the incredible Reach2016 Conference attended by 18,000. Click here to learn more or contact Jeff Mannel at [email protected].
SEO & Reputation Management: Justin Renton
Justin continues to be diligent in watching out for our SEO and Reputation Management online. The challenge of the internet world is the ever-changing algorithms and the favoring of negative material. Our Wikipedia page continues to receive 60,000 views annually.
Technology: Chris Walquist
Weddings from DT Heart & Soul are occurring at an increasing rate. We are rejoicing in the 52 marriages, 8 babies and 7 engagements – that we know of! Read about them here: dtheartandsoul.com. A Russian version of DTHS was released and is fully managed by disciples in Russia.
Chris also consults with Disciples Today for technology needs.
If you have an interest in helping with any of these areas, please contact the Subcommittee Chairmen or Roger Lamb at [email protected]
