Let’s rethink the way we do news on our show. Let’s start by investing in storytelling. Rather than give breaking information, let’s tell better stories. News can be divisive, but stories can be encouraging. News can divide and stories can bring listeners together. News has victims and stories have characters who overcome adversity.

If we do anything that is reoccurring on our show, we should have a well through out strategy for it. I think the key to making news connect is embracing your listener’s point of view . We’re not investigative reporters. We are personalities. Let’s use our strength as a way to tell better stories.

Are we doing news as a topic starter? Are we doing news to connect with trending/what’s on our listeners mind this morning?

Are we doing news to share a local point of view?

Are we sharing news from a Christian point of view?

Are we sharing news in order to be a breaking news source?

Are we sharing news as a source of faith stories?

Are we a consistent good news source to the encouragement that our listeners are hoping we can be? -Scott

Here’s a neat walk through Holy Week that might give you some rich content ideas. Use your storytelling skills! Think about the characters, the setting and the conflict in this story! Shine your camera angles in some new places with these stories!

“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”
― C.S. Lewis

Creative Cardio is an idea catalyst for showprep! Sure, we share great stories for your show, but Creative Cardio cultivates idea starters. We challenge you to think about the way you grab your listeners attention. We equip you to think about fresh ways to tell stories. We share distinctive angles everyday, so you can connect the heart of the character in the story, directly to your listener. Creative Cardio is rich with encouragement & acute angles to connect the emotions. Give it a try for $40! There’s no contract. You can cancel anytime. Dive in if you’d like to challenge your creativity!

There’s a lot of different styles of communication in Christian radio. We have those that lean toward preaching, we have those that want to let the music be the message, we have those that focus on encouragement, and we have personalities that live life from a Bible centered worldview.

How do we communicate Christ to a culture that thinks it already knows all about Jesus?

We tell stories. We reflect his light. We share our heart. We invite people into community and we intentionally encourage.

God’s word does not return void. Rethink the content that you’re putting into your showprep this week. Intentionally frame the stories with heart, characters and encouragement.

Frame the heart of the artists you play. Tell stories with a point. Actually listen to the words in the music you’re playing.

Think about what a Christ centered world view actually is. Share what you’re learning. Share what you’ve been reading. A Bible verse isn’t a radio bit or a scheduled benchmark. It’s your source. Use it that way.

Choose to be an encourager. Think about how your pastor does sermon illustrations. He generally starts with a story that relates to someone in his audience  and he brings out a spiritual truth that’s related to it.

Ask callers or artists what they are learning, what they are reading & what their through process is in raising kids in this crazy world. Let them share God’s truths from their life.

Quote the people of the Bible directly. Instead of saying, “The Bible says….. or reading off a long verse and reference, try this to make it more personal to someone who doesn’t know much about the Bible:

“Paul explained grace in Romans 8 – he said if God is for us, who can be against us….”

“When King David wrote Psalm 119, he said…”

“In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he explained….”

“Jesus explained the difference between work and grace in Matthew 5. He said…..”

When you want to communicate God’s truth in your show, lead with encouragement. Speak to who your listener can become with a personal relationship with Jesus. Speak to the unique giftings, talents and raw potential you see. You’ve been given a circle of influence, so intentionally speak life into those people and they will come back tomorrow even if they don’t know Jesus….yet. – Scott Herrold

Is there texture in your show? Are your discussions actually inviting to new people? Think about your strategy in how you use recorded audio to build momentum!

Using artist audio can add texture and interactivity to your show. Just because you have recorded audio from Tobymac or Lysa TerKeurst doesn’t mean you have to use it only as an interview! Use your artists/authors & local pastors as experts! You can use their audio to start a discussion with listeners! Here’s a strategy idea: 

Start a discussion by sharing a personal story about something that’s topical this week and invite listeners to call. (Then you play a song.) Right after the song, you reset what you’re talking about and invite your listeners to call again. Right after you give the phone number, play a great clip from an author like Mark Batterson chiming in with his opinion. Invite the listener to call again before your play your next two songs. Maybe even follow up after a few songs with a recorded clip from a different author like Louie Giglio addressing the same faith topic! (Use your archived audio like Mark & Louie are guests just responding in your show!) You can do the same with any artist audio you have in the archives. Use them as experts!

We have a TON of dry audio like this in our DRY CALLS page for our paid members. Join us if you want to add some texture to your show! A paid membership is $40 per month and there are no contracts. You can try it and cancel anytime!

Building call in discussions is all about setting momentum! Look at each call, each personal story or each artist clip as a power up on your journey toward flight. Your stories strategically build momentum. Plot out the way you will use audio to build that!  

** I suggest you have 2 different pieces of audio edited and ready BEFORE you start the discussion on the air! (Call a friend and ask their opinion if you need a call starter or a follow up to your discussion with a community leader.) -Scott Herrold / Morning Show Host at SOS Radio

The Devil uses the same playbook over and over again! Six weeks ago he was stirring up fear about the WHAT IF’s, and he’s doing it again this week.

Last month the fear was: WHAT IF the economy tanks? WHAT IF my income drops? What if my industry doesn’t bounce back as quick as others? WHAT IF this drama lasts longer than a month? The WHAT IF’s will always drive you crazy because they remind you that you are not in control!

Today he’s using the SAME playbook again. WHAT IF we open too soon? WHAT IF our government makes a mistake? WHAT IF our sales/donations don’t bounce back in a month work? WHAT IF more people get sick in the fall and this swings back worse than what we’re dealing with now?

It’s the SAME playbook with a twist on days’s events. Focus your eyes back on Jesus – not on your circumstances! WHAT IF God actually shows up in a bigger way than you could ever imagine?

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7

This was an interesting Easter weekend, but many churches said they actually had MORE people watch their church services online this week, than they have ever had in their building. It’s funny to say “watch” instead of “participate,” but isn’t that the reality of what most non-believers do even when they attend a church in person for the first time? They don’t know the songs, they don’t know when to stand up or sit down, they don’t want to shake everyone’s hand or be singled out. They don’t know much about the pastor or the people leading worship on stage. They feel out of place because they know they aren’t part of the regular club,  but they are taking it all in, hoping God speaks to them in a special way. Think about all the new people who are tuning into your show this week. Do they know the songs? Do they know the Christian buzzwords? Do they know the artists leading worship?What do they know about you and your personalities on the air? Think about what you can intentionally do to welcome these people in to grow deeper with you! Think about how you can develop more on ramps to get them up to speed and invite them to plug in deeper. Don’t talk at them, wrap your arm around them and encourage them. Love them to life and show them they are welcome regardless of where they are in their faith journey . If you need help, contact us at Creative Cardio Showprep!

“Find the helpers when you want to share hope. You can always find people who are helping.” – Fred Rogers.

Look for stories where you can share the heart of the helpers! Our world has been crazy this week, and it doesn’t look like that will change tomorrow. God has given you a circle of influence to share hope and encouragement in your show. You don’t have to mention Corona at all, just share stories that point your listeners to God’s goodness and the generous heart of people. Look into God’s word for encouragement. Actually listen to the words in the songs you are playing! Champion a heart of service. Champion a heart of gratefulness. Champion generosity. Be a hope dealer! 

If you need showprep, just walk through your grocery store and talk to people! Look for those who appear stressed. Ask how you can serve them. Ask about their experience this week. It might be hustling for childcare, fear of being laid off, no toilet paper in stock, babysitters cancelling, hours cut at work, the election, no lunches at school for the kids since it’s cancelled, the losses in their 401k if they are elderly, fear of infecting someone if you feel under the weather, or it might be worry over their elderly parents who live alone. Think about where your listener is right now, and how you can speak to their need.

Here’s the audio recording of our entire Thanksgiving Ideas Brainstorm call! Grab a pen and start writing. Tons of radio personalities share ideas for the Thanksgiving season!

Here’s some DRY Thanksgiving calls you can use in your imaging or voice trax. If you’re doing a live show, the dry calls are great call starters to get your listeners calling.

Download the calls here!

Download the file HERE (Right click “SAVE AS”)

Download the file HERE (Right click “SAVE AS”)

Download the file HERE (Right click “SAVE AS”)

*If you want more DRY calls like this, click our SIGN UP page and join CreativeCardio.com! We keep them in our DRY CALLS page. It’s only $40 per month for a solo membership in the CreativeCardio.com community!! We also have a team show rate too!