APR Accreditation

Visit our APR Accreditation page to learn more about this voluntary designation and accreditation program available to RCC members from the Universal Accreditation Board.

Past Recorded Webinars and Convention Presentations

Shared below are our most recent educational development webinars;  click here to go to our YouTube channel, with videos of past webinars, convention presentations and Wilbur awards

Tuesday, September 24 at 2 p.m. ET –
“Covering Conflict within the Church”

Heather Hahn, assistant news editor for the United Methodist News Service,  shared from her experience covering four years of church disaffiliations and a momentous General Conference. She discussed the ongoing fallout from that General Conference’s decisions, especially for United Methodists in Africa and how the United Methodist Church hopes to move forward.

Hahn  is an award-winning reporter, who has worked for United Methodist News for 14 years. She is currently the assistant news editor. She previously edited the Arkansas Conference newspaper and before that, worked as reporter and editor at newspapers across the U.S., often covering the religion beat. She is grateful that United Methodists live out their faith in so many ways that she never lacks for stories to tell.

Thursday, August 29 
Video Blogging and Telling Your Story

 RCC past-president Rev. Donna Frischknecht Jackson discussed her video blog, Old Stone Well Farm – sharing what she has learned, how she has grown in subscribers and some of her “crazy adventures living in Mucks and chasing after cows.”

Donna encougaged listeners “Don’t let success stifle your creativity. Once you start growing in views, there is a desire to maintain viewers. However, you still need to produce what is authentic to you and your brand, to continue in you message and goals, and to not lose your joy and the why you’re doing it.” Other pointers Donna shared include to not be afraid to change things up a bit – to test content, production, and other aspects; and to “remember your passion as you trust the message in your heart.”

Donna has created a welcoming presence with her blog, a place where folks can come to be refreshed and encouraged. Donna’s sharing about her experiences at Old Stone Well Farm in a simple and rustic manner lends a sense of serenity and peace to viewers. Her periodic videos have grown to more than 5K subscribers, including more than 72K views of her Dec. 23, 2023 blog, “Alone But Not Lonely at the Holidays: A Quiet, Simple Christmas Is a Gift.”

Click here for her YouTube channel.

Thursday, August 8
No Congregation is an Island: How Faith Communities Navigate Opportunities and Challenges Together

Dr. Jennifer McClure Haraway, Associate Professor and Congregational Research Strategist for the Center for Congregational Resources for Samford University, shared from her recent book, titled No Congregation is an Island: How Faith Communities Navigate Opportunities and Challenges Together.

Starting from the fameous Thomas Merton quote, “No man is an island,” Haraway looked at the types of social support that are crucial for congregations – emotional, informational and instrumental. She discussed the types of relationships between congregations and the ways in which those relationships can benefit them. She also offered advice on developing congregational connections through such methods as fostering friendships between ministers, hosting joint events, participation in ministerial groups and associations, pulpit exchanges and more.

Dr. Haraway is a sociologist of religion whose work focuses on churches, synagogues, and other local congregations. She received her PhD in Sociology from Penn State University. Her professional interests include religious congregations, prosocial behavior (volunteering, charitable giving, etc.), social psychology, social networks, and statistics. She teaches courses that integrate social scientific insights with ministry preparation: church dynamics; faith development; conflict, change, and misconduct in ministry; Christian faith and community service. Her research projects focus on: Jesus’s social network (i.e., the relational dynamics surrounding His life and ministry); social networks and relational patterns among congregations in central Alabama; church-based ministries that encourage people to more deeply understand and live out their callings.

Click here to view on the RCC YouTube channel.

Thursday, June 20 – Pew & you: How to access and use Pew Research Center data on religion

Two experts from Pew Research Center – Achsah Callahan and Anna Schiller – shared insight into the types of information and religious research Pew conducts, the best ways to access their religion data, and details about their methodology and research.

Achsah Callahan  is a communications manager at Pew Research Center. She joined the Center in 2022 and works to connect journalists, organizations and the general public with data on religion in the US and around the world. She is bas ed in the DC area and has worked in nonprofit communications for the past decade.

Anna Schiller  is an associate director at Pew Research Center. She leads a team of strategic communications professionals tasked with disseminating the Center’s research, maintain relationships with the media and promote the Center’s brand. She has worked in public affairs and media relations for almost two decades.

Click here to view the video on the RCC YouTube channel.

Wednesday, May 29 

“Our Members’ Best – DeRose-Hinkhouse Winners Discuss Their Entries”

A panel of  four RCC members who were honored during our 2024 annual conference  by being selected as DeRose-Hinkhouse “best in category” winners discussed their entries, what they learned and shared some tips on how to prepare your entry for next year.

Panelists are:

• Brian Kaylor, Editor & President for Word&Way – DeRose Hinkhouse winner in the specialized writing category
• Aaron Kreader, Designer/Illustrator for Brilliant Star Magazine – DeRose Hinkhouse winner in the artwork category
• Kristen Opalinski, Manager for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – and DeRose Hinkhouse  winnner in two categories: the speciality publications and design
• Brad Pomerance, Host/Senior VP of News & Programming for Jewish Life Television/JLTV – DeRose Hinkhouse winner in the news & magazine broadcasts category

Click here to view the video on the RCC YouTube channel.

RCCongress 2020 Recorded Webinars

Backpack Journalism: Multi-Platform Story Creation with Gregg Brekke, Visual journalist and Executive Director of the Associated Church Press

Pew Research – The Decline of Christianity in the United States: An Update on America’s Changing Religious Landscape with Dr. Gregory A. Smith, Associate Director of Research, Pew Research Center

ΘeoCon (Thee-Oh-Con): Where Theology Meets Pop Culture! with Rev. Shayna J. Watson, Canon Pastor at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Religion Writing: From Pitch to Publication with Adelle Banks, Production Editor and National Reporter, Religion News Service

Content is Everything. What is YOUR Strategy to Use it? with Lou Ann Sabatier, Principal and Lead Consultant at Sabatier Consulting

Creating a Third Space: Communicating Across Religious and Cultural Boundaries Through the Arts with Dr. Patrick M. Beldio, Teacher, scholar, and artist

Pew Research – Americans’ Views on Religion’s Role in Society and Politics with Claire Gecewicz, Research Associate at Pew Research Center

Storytelling and Media Arts that Spread a Vital Faith with Rev. Dr. Ron King, Founder and Director of Sidebar Stories, and Ken Medema, Musician, Composer, Founder of Brier Patch Music and Ken Medema Music