Shane Hochstetler
Communication Director
I have had the pleasure of serving in the Communication department since November of 2017. Over the last almost four years, I have worked diligently to improve the standard of communication in our conference.
The improvement started with the redesign of the conference website, which took it from 1998 to 2018 in just a matter of months and was a substantial enough improvement that it was awarded Best in Class at the 2018 Society of Adventist Communicators conference.
I also opened new social media channels, namely Instagram, and took the existing Facebook page and nearly doubled its followers.
Video (Film & Production)
During this same four-year period, I have also filmed and produced hundreds of videos (YouTube & Vimeo), including news clips, ministry reports for each department, live-event presenter introductions, event promotional videos, event recap videos like the pathfinder camporee, church-school promotional videos, video sermons, the health nugget series with Dr. Sandoval, and tutorial videos, including a special on how to use Adventist Giving. I also did an extensive series on Digital Evangelism just last year. These are in addition to any live event streams, like camp meeting.
Graphic Design
I also design most of the promotional materials for the conference, such as flyers, posters, signs, and social media posts. Among my favorites is the weekly Happy Sabbath post, which appears at or near sunset in Montgomery, Alabama, and has operated consistently for more than two years.
Graphic design and print costs have been brought in-house, providing significant savings for our conference. These savings have also been extended to the local churches and schools for their print and design needs through the Communication department on a first-come, first-served basis.
Systems Integration
New A/V System for the Tuscaloosa Skyland Church
Local churches have also utilized the department as a systems integrator for their A/V needs, obtaining recommendations, installing and training sound systems, live-streaming equipment, remote-operable cameras, projectors, televisions, computers, local networks, and more. I work with the local church board to explain the suggestions and find the best fit for the church budget. To date, I have assisted at least 22 of our churches in this area.
Journalism
The journalistic component of the department continues to thrive as well. Monthly news submissions are made to our local union paper, the Southern Tidings, helping inform our fellow Adventist neighbors of the positive things happening in our territory. We also regularly post to our own GSC Today on the conference website and social media pages. In addition, a new initiative started in 2021, providing a payout of $40 to anyone that submits a story the department can use for publication.
Sermons & Seminars
I have also visited and preached in at least 25 different churches and schools throughout our conference and offered training on utilizing media and social networks for soul-winning and evangelism through a special seminar at many of these locations.
adventist.org
One of the main goals of the department is to improve the public reputation of Seventh-day Adventists. I love the stories of lives that were changed because of influential Adventists. When I was a Bible worker in Washington, an Adventist doctor’s name kept coming up when I was going door-to-door. When I identified as an Adventist, it was a positive thing for most people in that city. I thought, “Man, I need to meet this guy and thank him!” however, it turns out that he passed away some time beforehand. However, his reputation lived on and broke down barriers for years to come. I think we can do more of just what he did, make a good name for Seventh-day Adventists, and work in unity.
One of the ways I have started doing this is the advertisement for Adventist.org. With their new site and everything set to the story brand model, it makes it very easy to promote one website to the public. Through this one site, any of our churches can promote it and see results as people complete the online Bible studies and are linked back to the local church.
I created some printed material that local churches could hand out and worked on a video commercial for social media. I collaborated with the General Conference to run the ad from the official Seventh-day Adventist Facebook page and target our conference territory.
mobile app
Another goal of communication is to strengthen the link between the conference and local churches. One of the ways I endeavored to do this is by launching a mobile app in 2021 for both Apple and Android devices. Through the app, church members can see the latest news, find the closest Gulf States church to their location, and return tithe and offering, amongst other things.
conclusion
I have also enjoyed working with each department on special projects, like the Adventist Community Services trailers and the partnerships we were able to arrange with Advent Health and EGO power equipment.
I believe the future is bright for Gulf States and the communication department. God has been working to bring about excellent results over the last several years, and I have no doubt that will continue. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for the next five years.