Today was Tuesday, again time for the weekly prayer meeting. When the CEO leads the prayer meetings, you know the organization takes them seriously. It was again an uplifting time. Today, Debbie finished the project on affiliate websites. I placed a couple of donor calls and cleaned up the computer room project started yesterday. Debbie and I went to lunch with an individual who helped guide me through a prior work transition. It was great to reconnect and introduce Debbie.
We referred to Dawson’s print publications a few days ago. He has also written 175 topic-based blog entries, which appear on thehopeline.com website, capturing years of experience and wisdom on youth matters. These entries are available to youth seeking help online and hope coaches addressing issues on calls or chats.
Partners are an important component of thehopeline.com ministry. The ministry encourages every interaction to include a referral to a partner. Kathy Cook, who develops these relationships, explains what thehopeline.com is looking for in a ministry partner.
We mentioned a few days ago that calls are screened for the Sunday night show. Rachel Cardinal, who manages this process, explains what screeners consider when selecting calls for the show.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Day #9 Monday August 15, 2011
Debbie and I have grown to appreciate that Mondays are a quick turnaround for the crew. Even though an afternoon start time is encouraged for the late Sunday night crew, the previous night's creation of new radio programming content and servicing many calls and chats on the hopeline increases the work on Mondays. Debbie continued to research affiliate station websites to document Dawson’s exposure on those sites, while I took on a project to sift through old computer gear to identify salvageable units.
After several sluggish hours fighting our hopeline hangovers, we departed in the early evening for a walk at a park in Spring Hill. We leave you tonight with hope coach David Dees’ early morning description of one of his more rewarding support calls ever.
After several sluggish hours fighting our hopeline hangovers, we departed in the early evening for a walk at a park in Spring Hill. We leave you tonight with hope coach David Dees’ early morning description of one of his more rewarding support calls ever.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Day #8 Sunday August 14, 2011
Sunday was a long, full day. We went to a 10:00 AM church service in Franklin. Courtney Johnson of DMA had invited us to this church plant. We heard a wonderful sermon 
on the times of waiting on God, when He calls you out of something but has not yet revealed your next destination, venture, job, or activity. The music at this church was outstanding. 
Courtney was the bass player for the band. We surmise that many churches in the Nashville area, even smaller ones, have great musicians because there are so many that come to the area in pursuit of a music career.
After church, we returned to the hotel for a nap in anticipation of a long night and early morning. We awoke early and decided to ride to Nashville, where we spent about three hours touring the downtown area by foot, listening to some music, and sightseeing. It was a beautiful day. We returned to our hotel, put on a fresh change of clothes, and headed south to Spring Hill, arriving shortly after 7:00 PM. After praying with the Call Center Manager, Terri Henry, we took some hopeline chats until about 8:45. Tim Altman, the CEO, then escorted us to the studio to watch a portion of DM Live. The show airs from 9:00 PM to midnight Central Time. Portions of the show are replayed for West Coast audiences.
Ike Wingate, the ministry’s Director of Radio Programming, joins Dawson in the studio each week. Ike is surrounded by complex computer screens that help him orchestrate the broadcast. Among other things, these screens show pending calls, hope coach activity, Dawson’s facebook page, a spare internet browser window, and a Word document that he creates as the show unfolds. Dawson takes nonverbal cues from him while focusing primarily on a list of potential upcoming calls. Ike also banters with Dawson to either fill time or vary the show.
The production crew can insert captivating pre-recorded calls when needed. Dawson records most of them during the week when teens who were unable to talk with him on Sunday may receive a return call. In the control room window, behind which sit Jeremy Gover and several call screeners, the large, red numbers of a digital clock count down the time remaining to the next commercial break, much like a basketball shot clock. During commercial breaks, Dawson and Ike were gracious to share insights and tricks of the trade. Fascinated, Debbie and I absorbed what we could.
Calls are screened with an eye toward variety and compelling radio content.
All callers are sent to the hopeline for further help whether Dawson speaks to them or not. In reality, Dawson fields a minute percentage of calls, a strong indicator of the level of need in listener-land as well as a large audience. The goal of the radio group is to provide content that will attract and retain listeners. A successful show drawing a large audience each week drives traffic to hope coaches where real ministry happens. Thanks to generous and compassionate donors, it has been a sustainable model designed to rescue a generation of hurting teens and young adults.
After over an hour in the studio, we watched the action in the control room and captured some camera shots.
Shown here is Jeremy working the soundboard and some call screeners working the phones. We eventually went back to the call center to resume our work for the evening, joining several others taking calls and chats. Just after 3:30 AM, after we each completed a lengthy and intense chat session, Debbie and I left for our home away from home. There is a feeling of satisfaction when you sense that you gave a youth in crisis some temporary relief and some additional resources for trying days ahead. David Dees explains it well in the following video.
You can listen to live or achived DM Live shows on online by clicking here.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Day #7 Saturday August 13, 2011
Today was the first day since arriving in Nashville that we did not go to the Spring Hill Call Center. You’d think that would offer us a break, a time to get some rest, but we both awoke before our intended time with our minds going at top speed! There was so much to think about, so much to see, so much to do. We worked the blog, photos, internet, and e-mail until mid-afternoon, when we went to the mega-gym for a workout and the store for some groceries. Debbie joined Terri and Kathy for a movie in the evening while I continued to work on the blog and get thoughts organized for next week. Today, Debbie said, "I have always said that if I ever had kids I would want them to come out as teenagers. Working with the hopeline is perfect."
The ministry's web-based technology allows coaches to work from their homes, whether they be in Tennessee or, say, Marlborough, Massachusetts. Terri Henry manages the remote hope coaches as well as the Spring Hill Call Center, so she is our manager. Debbie and I can both tell you from personal experience that Terri is very patient and good at what she does. Even in a job that places a high emphasis on technology, Terri's compassion for the callers shines through. In fact, it was Terri's skill and compassion in handling a suicidal caller when we toured the facility two years ago that first moved Debbie to become a hope coach. From my perspective, Terri has offered great ideas on specific chats to move the dialogue to a positive outcome. Her suggestions teach the coach to rely on the software and other resources at his fingertips. We think this video will provide a glimpse of her heart for youth in crisis.
We are excited about tomorrow as we will be working the hopeline during the live broadcast. We will also be spending some time in the studio. To prepare everyone for the show, here is Jeremy Gover, aka Jeremy the Sound Guy!
The ministry's web-based technology allows coaches to work from their homes, whether they be in Tennessee or, say, Marlborough, Massachusetts. Terri Henry manages the remote hope coaches as well as the Spring Hill Call Center, so she is our manager. Debbie and I can both tell you from personal experience that Terri is very patient and good at what she does. Even in a job that places a high emphasis on technology, Terri's compassion for the callers shines through. In fact, it was Terri's skill and compassion in handling a suicidal caller when we toured the facility two years ago that first moved Debbie to become a hope coach. From my perspective, Terri has offered great ideas on specific chats to move the dialogue to a positive outcome. Her suggestions teach the coach to rely on the software and other resources at his fingertips. We think this video will provide a glimpse of her heart for youth in crisis.
We are excited about tomorrow as we will be working the hopeline during the live broadcast. We will also be spending some time in the studio. To prepare everyone for the show, here is Jeremy Gover, aka Jeremy the Sound Guy!
Day #6 Friday August 12, 2011
I-65 paved the way to a redesign of the Rescue Support System software in Spring Hill. After guidance from Dave Anderson, Joe Kelly from the Chattanooga Call Center led a discussion with Terri Henry, Courtney Johnson, Debbie, and me. We brainstormed about ways to improve and simplify the software. Coaches must follow a detailed process on phone calls or chats. Making the screen as user-friendly as possible will shorten the length of calls, increase the number of youth receiving help, and increase hope coach retention. The meeting lasted most of the day with a follow-up discussion with Dave at its conclusion. Ultimately, we recommended eliminating some pages by consolidating the necessary information, using hover tips, and moving lengthier help screens into linkable pages. We also recommended providing some coach-specific feedback on call statistics.
Debbie and I really enjoyed today’s meeting. Everyone contributed and valued the opinions of the others. The group benefited from the different perspectives. I was the novice user with the least experience, Debbie has the experience of a remote hope coach, Courtney uses the software in-house, and Terri and Joe manage coaches. Remote hope coaching allows coaches to take calls and chats from the comfort of their own home using web-based software. The RSS software then guides the interaction just as it does for coaches who work in call centers. Even as the software aides the implementation of best practices during coaching, it also documents the call. Call history enables performance feedback for supervisors and hope coaches. Coaches also have access to valuable information about previous interactions with repeat callers. In more serious cases, like homicidal talk, suicidal talk, or reports of criminal activity, it can help prove the due diligence of the coach and the ministry.
Day #5 Thursday August 11, 2011
Today we continued to work on Dawson’s publications. I extracted some potent one-liner truths from Last Call for Help, which was co-authored by Dayle Maloney. Dave Anderson will send these as “tweets” to the hopeline’s Twitter followers. Debbie finished a Powerpoint presentation that summarizes the high points from two of Dawson’s student workbooks. This content is likely destined for thehopeline.com website.
I was humbled today when I tried to find some resources for international callers. Courtney Johnson has been developing a list and invited me to join in the fun. I started (and ended) with Russia, knowing it is a large, populous country—but I do not speak or read Russian! I used Google’s browser translator to do web searches in Russian, and then translated them back to English to determine whether I had panned any gold nuggets. Because thehopeline.com is accessible worldwide, the ministry gets chats from abroad. Although their issues may be the same, local services are not. The planned launch of an internet radio station will no doubt create more cries for help from afar, and the hopeline staff is preparing for this demand.
I joined Debbie who was working on a list of station affiliates. The objective was to locate and review the affiliates’ websites to determine how prominently, if at all, Dawson or the hopeline was featured. Approximately 150 affiliate stations broadcast DM Live or one of the ministry's prerecorded shows. The coverage map is impressive, thanks to syndication on a radio network of Top-40 format stations.
DM Live is good business for them because it benefits their listeners while qualifying as public service under FCC regulations. However, most of these stations focus on their music and their boilerplate websites reflect this. Many of the sites link to the hopeline, but the link and any content promoting DM Live are usually inconspicuous from the front page. Given the number of affiliates, this time-consuming exercise is still in process.
Debbie’s workday ended with a trip to the gym with Taylor, while I did some catching up on the blog. Check out the sunset, another beautiful one.
I was humbled today when I tried to find some resources for international callers. Courtney Johnson has been developing a list and invited me to join in the fun. I started (and ended) with Russia, knowing it is a large, populous country—but I do not speak or read Russian! I used Google’s browser translator to do web searches in Russian, and then translated them back to English to determine whether I had panned any gold nuggets. Because thehopeline.com is accessible worldwide, the ministry gets chats from abroad. Although their issues may be the same, local services are not. The planned launch of an internet radio station will no doubt create more cries for help from afar, and the hopeline staff is preparing for this demand.
I joined Debbie who was working on a list of station affiliates. The objective was to locate and review the affiliates’ websites to determine how prominently, if at all, Dawson or the hopeline was featured. Approximately 150 affiliate stations broadcast DM Live or one of the ministry's prerecorded shows. The coverage map is impressive, thanks to syndication on a radio network of Top-40 format stations.
DM Live is good business for them because it benefits their listeners while qualifying as public service under FCC regulations. However, most of these stations focus on their music and their boilerplate websites reflect this. Many of the sites link to the hopeline, but the link and any content promoting DM Live are usually inconspicuous from the front page. Given the number of affiliates, this time-consuming exercise is still in process.
Debbie’s workday ended with a trip to the gym with Taylor, while I did some catching up on the blog. Check out the sunset, another beautiful one.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Day #4 Wednesday August 10, 2011
Today we began reviewing some material authored by Dawson McAllister, the organization’s president. He wrote several books and study guides for students and youth leaders years ago. He is unquestionably an expert on young people, their issues, and their relationships. Many of the workbooks were designed for church youth groups. Our objective was to consider ways to utilize these publications for today's ministry, which reaches unchurched youth. Recent technological changes affecting youth culture also date these works. Nevertheless, they contain much truth, so we began to sift through them considering how to extract meaningful content.
Who is Dawson McAllister? Dawson started out as a youth pastor. He honed some impressive ministry skills speaking at large youth conferences, writing about youth issues, and sharing truth on the radio. In the early 1990’s, he began broadcasting his signature call-in talk show for teenagers known as Dawson McAllister Live. He quickly earned a reputation for his uncanny ability to develop instant rapport with callers and understand their issues. His giftedness marries effective ministry with captivating radio. DM Live soon aired every Sunday night on Christian radio stations nationwide. His organization also started the hopeline to help the overflow of callers. In 2005, DM Live moved to secular radio in order to reach more youth in crisis. Dawson’s coaching hallmarks are spiritual insight, logical reasoning, and straight talk.
After an enjoyable lunch courtesy of Terri, Kathy, and Taylor, Debbie reviewed some of the partner resources. Understanding the partner resources makes hope coaches more effective. findingbalance.com deals with eating disorders, everystudent.com deals with spirituality and sexual purity, and Truth Media provides e-mail mentors on just about any issue. In recent years, the hopeline has developed, from scratch, a significant group of quality partners. Kathy Cook explains why.
As the day ended, we drove the back road to Franklin, which sent us through a Civil War battlefield and the historic downtown. We walked some of the streets and walked into the lobby of the Franklin Theatre. We leave you with photos from Franklin.
Who is Dawson McAllister? Dawson started out as a youth pastor. He honed some impressive ministry skills speaking at large youth conferences, writing about youth issues, and sharing truth on the radio. In the early 1990’s, he began broadcasting his signature call-in talk show for teenagers known as Dawson McAllister Live. He quickly earned a reputation for his uncanny ability to develop instant rapport with callers and understand their issues. His giftedness marries effective ministry with captivating radio. DM Live soon aired every Sunday night on Christian radio stations nationwide. His organization also started the hopeline to help the overflow of callers. In 2005, DM Live moved to secular radio in order to reach more youth in crisis. Dawson’s coaching hallmarks are spiritual insight, logical reasoning, and straight talk.
After an enjoyable lunch courtesy of Terri, Kathy, and Taylor, Debbie reviewed some of the partner resources. Understanding the partner resources makes hope coaches more effective. findingbalance.com deals with eating disorders, everystudent.com deals with spirituality and sexual purity, and Truth Media provides e-mail mentors on just about any issue. In recent years, the hopeline has developed, from scratch, a significant group of quality partners. Kathy Cook explains why.
As the day ended, we drove the back road to Franklin, which sent us through a Civil War battlefield and the historic downtown. We walked some of the streets and walked into the lobby of the Franklin Theatre. We leave you with photos from Franklin.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)