CWIMA CONNECT NEWS

CWIMA CONNECT NEWS | QUARTERLY NEWS & UPDATES | SUMMER 2021

Welcome from Suellen Roberts

I'm very blessed to present you this Summer Edition of our new Christian Women in Media Association quarterly newsletter, CONNECT NEWS.

In each edition, you'll find important media tips to help you with your ongoing projects. Our members will be contributing a variety of articles on current events plus a devotional for our spiritual growth. Watch for our Events Calendar and Member Spotlight too.

We look forward to connecting with you and seeing you at our upcoming events.

Influencing Culture Through Media,

Suellen Roberts

Founder & President

Christian Women in Media Association

CWIMA in the News

CWIMA at the National Religious Broadcasters Conference (NRB)

By Lisa Burkhardt Worley

The Christian Women in Media Association (CWIMA) had a strong presence at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention (NRB) this past month. NRB took place June 21-24 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. On Wednesday, there was a Noon reception at the CWIMA suite, designed to introduce the NRB attendees to our professional association, a group that desires to connect and equip women in media.

CWIMA leadership, including Founder Suellen Roberts, Senior Executive Vice-President, Sharon Hill, Vice-President of National Connections, Tracey Mitchell, and Vice-President of International Outreach, Marina McLean, met with the over one-hundred women who attended the reception and are now considering membership. A small contingent of CWIMA authors also signed books at the reception.

CWIMA members are actively engaged in national and international media and were heavily involved in the hustle and bustle of NRB. Many of CWIMA’s active members either had booths at the NRB Expo, conducted interviews with other media leaders at the convention or were interviewed themselves by media networks.

Wednesday night, twenty-four of the CWIMA members who attended NRB took a break from the fast-paced activities and met for dinner at the Gaylord’s Italian restaurant, Zeppele. It was a great time of fellowship and provided a window to recharge and reconnect with each other.

Above: CWIMA Members interview Del Tackett, Former Senior Vice President of Focus on the Family.

Below - upper left: Tracey Mitchell is interviewed by TV Host, Kandi Rose. Below - upper right: CWIMA Members, Renee Fowler Hornbuckle & Marina Headlam McLean greet Tony Evans & Priscilla Shirer.

Above center: Sharon Hill, CWIMA Senior Executive Vice President.

Sharon remarks about the, "Amazing time @ NRB Conference; for my On Call Prayer ministry interview with Kandi Rose, and the sweet fellowship with my Christian Women in Media friends."

COMING THIS FALL!

A New Devotional by Suellen Roberts

Christian Women and Media Association Founder and President, Suellen Roberts dreamed of writing a book someday, and we are thrilled the time is now!

Yet, like most everything Suellen does, she brings others along with her. Inclusive in Suellen’s book will be a collection of outstanding devotions by women who are impacting culture. The opportunity is being given to members of CWIMA to submit, per the guidelines in this document, a devotional piece to be considered as one of the 52 devotions included in:

INFLUENCE: 52 Devotions by Women Who Impact Culture!

MORE EXCITING DETAILS HERE

Equipped to Serve - Media Tip

4 Social Media Tips to Make an Impact for Christ

by Dayna Lovelady

Social Media is an important communication tool in today's society. Social media is defined by Oxford Languages as "websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking".

There are nearly four billion active social media users worldwide, which is almost 50% of the global population. There is a trend of 10.5% annual growth of social media users throughout the world. All of this means that we have a huge opportunity to make an impact for Christ on social media.

Below are four ways that you can make a great impact on your chosen social media platforms.Place article copy here. Be sure to make the articles short and concise as people tend not to read much more than a couple of paragraphs. Place article copy here.

1. Know Your Why

The first step is to know why you desire a social media presence. Simply put, why do you desire to be on social media? Is it to showcase your book, your podcast, or your show? Is it to create a following? Is it to provide content to a specific demographic of people? Knowing the answer to this question will help you to build your social media strategy. It will also sustain you during times of growth as well as times of challenge. Clearly define your why and keep that definition before you as you journey within social media.

2. Know Your Audience

Take some time to write down who your target audience is. Maybe you mainly want to share your social media posts with women in the workforce. Maybe you want to primarily share your social media posts with impoverished teenage girls. Or maybe you want to share with those experiencing grief. Or your want to reach out to those in the film industry. Whoever your audience is, clearly define it so that your posts are consistently addressing those that you feel called to.

3. Post

Make sure that you post consistently. It does not have to be a strict and inflexible posting schedule, but it is best practice to not leave too much time between your posts. Each social media platform has an algorithm that they use to push content to its users. So the more consistently you post, the more likely your posts will appear on your audiences' social media feeds. Starting a social media account and not posting will hurt your account's viewership, so be sure to post as frequently as possible.

4. Engage

After you post on social media, the next step is to engage with your audience. You can engage with your audience by replying to their comments or using the reaction icons, such as the like button, to show that you have read their comments. By engaging with your audience, you are showing them that you are also interested in them and they belong in your community. This small step also helps your content to appear before your audience more often because it positively increases the social media algorithm in your favor.

By knowing why you desire to have a social media presence, knowing your audience, posting regularly, and engaging with your audience, you will be well on your way to making an impact for Christ on social media.

Dayna Lovelady is the Social Media Director for CWIMA and she also works full-time at Christian Broadcasting Network as a Digitial Communications Specialist. Contact: DaynaLovelady.com

Faith Talk

Word Smart - Open Heart

Devotional by Carole Brewer

A great disadvantage for me growing up was that I knew nothing about the Bible. I didn’t even know there was a New Testament. I thought the whole book was old!

As an adult new believer, my enthusiasm was overflowing. I’d say, “She’s a Christian!” with such excitement believing when a woman defined herself as Christian (little Christ), she was a true follower of Jesus. I would be shocked when meeting someone whose actions didn’t support her claimed Christian identity. Seeing this as a new believer flustered me. Over the years, though, I’m sure many things I’ve said or done have caused others to be flustered and wondering if I truly believe. Spending hours in the Bible and producing correct answers to study questions will confirm an individual is Word smart. My question is, for all of us, has the gathering of information into our brains also transferred to our hearts? Hearing and knowing are not the same as living and doing. Jesus’ brother James tells us,

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says,” (James 1:22).

The Book of Acts records,

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus,” (Acts 4:13).

Being with Jesus is the key! Being His hands, His feet, and perhaps the only “Jesus” others will ever see, is the opportunity we have to live out the Gospel and bring God glory.

Just between God & me:

1. What is your impression of the phrase “hearing and knowing are not the same as living and doing.”

2. What actions can you take today to demonstrate you are a follower of Jesus? Will your actions differ from the way you approached things in the past? How can they be different?

3. List more ways you can reflect the love of Jesus to others.

Member Spotlight

Kandi Rose is a President’s Club member, a member of the CWIMA Advisory Board, and has been a Connect Leader holding bi-monthly meetings in Hot Springs, Arkansas for seven years. Kandi produces and hosts 'Addiction Free', a weekly television show that broadcasts across the U.S. on several networks to millions of homes. She also produces the 'Addiction Free' podcast and a weekly over-the-air radio program.

Kandi travels across America filming in churches and recovery homes, interviewing people from all walks of life about being addiction free in Christ. In her early adult years, Kandi was a stripper and prostitute who owned a strip-o-gram business with male & female dancers. She had multiple addictions until her mother led her to the Lord. Now a strong believer in the healing power of Christ, Kandi invites her viewers to begin a new life in Christ at the close of every show. She gives all glory to God and says, "With God, all things are possible to reach the lost and hurting!"

Kandi Rose has been speaking in churches, conferences, and events for 32 years. She has authored six books that are all on Amazon. She is also a documentary film producer for Recovery Media Films. Visit Kandi's website: Addiction Free Ministry