Effective Church Communications

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and Biblical Inspiration to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission

Effective Church Communications provides Timeless Strategy and Biblical Inspiration to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission.

Will Your Visitors Become Members?

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Make it easy for people to become part of your church.
Make it easy for people to become part of your church.

An indisputable fact: Across the United States, and perhaps in other countries as well, church attendance and membership have been steadily declining over the past several years.

Researchers and scholars offer scores of societal changes as the reason: busy lifestyles,  disintegration of family, more mobile populations, growing demands on time, religion being viewed as irrelevant—and on and on. There are, no doubt, elements of truth in all these findings. But my experience leads me to believe there is another factor, one much closer to home. Just how welcoming are our churches? Do we put our best foot forward? Can we see ourselves as a visitor might? Do we display hospitality? Are we willing to embrace others and encourage them to become a part of our fellowship?

Moving to a new community and looking for a church home gave me a fresh opportunity to be a visitor. Some observations on things churches can do to attract visitors and encourage them to come back—

• advertise in the local paper; make sure times and directions are clear

• provide visitor parking convenient to the main entrance

• have adequate and attractive signage for parking, entrances, the nursery, restrooms

• train greeters in the art of offering a friendly and meaningful greeting

• provide an attractive and informative bulletin

• provide a greeter who walks visitors to the sanctuary doors and directs them to seating

• equip pews with visitor cards—and sharpened pencils

• give a general “welcome visitors” from the pulpit

• provide an opportunity for visitors to meet the pastor after the service

• offer a “Meet First Church” brochure to visitors; at least have them in pews

• provide a little memento of their visit: a pen, notepad, booklet

• absolutely send visitors a letter!

Unless yours is a very small congregation, your church may have more visitors than you realize. Sometimes visitors slip in and out with no recognition at all—no handshake, no smile, no greeting. Some have been invited by members.; others have sought you out on their own. All are seeking. We don’t know all their reasons for coming, but we can safely assume they want to feel valued, accepted, welcome. These arepeople—not numbers. Treat them as you would like to be treated. Take an interest in them. Show by your words and actions that you care about them.

Each visitor comes away with an impression. This is not a matter of being judgmental. Visitors are often deciding if this is the church for them. Is this where they will fit in, where they will find a place of service, where they will grow in their faith and have opportunity to make a difference.

There are fair, better, and best ways of extending a welcome. Would you rather be asked, “Are you visiting?” or greeted with a friendly “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Ann Smith.” Whether the person is a visitor or not, this greeting gets people acquainted.

One thing not to do: In an attempt to extend a welcome, some churches ask visitors to stand and introduce themselves. A good intention, perhaps, but it makes many visitors uncomfortable.

Even in the friendliest church, the cue for hospitality must come from leadership. Someone, the pastor or an assigned person, must lead members to be aware of new faces and to personally greet those with whom they are not acquainted. Greeter training is essential, but few things are more noticeable to a visitor than a pastor who sets a positive example. Staff and members who stay involved with one another or with family and friends—at the expense of welcoming newcomers—miss a great opportunity. It may seem quaint, but visitors (not to mention members) appreciate a personable pastor.

Those who sing in a choir or as a praise group play an important role in creating a friendly environment. It is such an attractive thing when folks singing praises to God allow their faces to show joy. And such a distraction when they don’t. Week after week some singers look positively unconvinced of the message they sing. What a missed opportunity to be a positive witness.

As important as a friendly welcome on the day of the visit is a personal written welcome arriving within the week. In this time of digital communication, a real letter makes a statement. Using a template is fine, but personalize it with the visitor’s name and adjust as necessary. Enclose a brochure about the church ministries and any other printed material that may be of interest—a small flyer about VBS, a special study, or whatever. One church sends along a neat little memo book/calendar. Very nice.

The pastor’s added handwritten note (“So good meeting you” or similar) is gold!

Next Lord’s Day try to put yourself in the mindset of a visitor and see your church through his/her eyes. You may find some things you can do differently to encourage visitors to become members—and to encourage your members to invite others. Details do matter.

 

Firefighter or Assistant—Be Happy in Your Work

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Fire Fighter or Secretary
Do you feel like a Fire-Fighter or Secretary in your job at church? This article will help you be happy no matter what!

The conversation was a lively one as some fifty ministry assistants discussed both the frustrations and joys of their particular calling. One expressed the feelings of many when she said with a wry smile, “What we need to know is how to be happy in our work even when we feel more like firefighters than secretaries.”

• Most of us have heard at one time or another that there are two ways to be happy: getting what you want, and wanting what you’ve got. This certainly applies in the church office. There, as elsewhere, choosing the second way is more realistic.

• Mary may want an organized boss, the most updated equipment, a full-time assistant, and a substantial raise. She may have tried to bring about all four, even making progress in some instances. Now, she can choose to be unhappy because she doesn’t have all she wants or she can choose to be happy by wanting what she has.

• Let’s be clear. Wanting what you have doesn’t mean settling for whatever someone else decides your life will be. It doesn’t mean toughing out disrespect or abuse and labeling it as okay. It doesn’t mean ignoring ways to bring about change or improvement anywhere and everywhere you can.

• Wanting what you have does mean accepting things and people as they are, not allowing them to cause you unhappiness because they are not how you want them to be. It means being resolved to find satisfaction in every moment, whether that moment brings something to enjoy and remember or something to change and forget. It means not letting a less-than-perfect world spoil your sense of contentment and well-being.

• Ministry assistants get a lot of what they want from their job—theirs is meaningful service. Still, many identify firefighting exercises affecting their ability to enjoy their work to the fullest. If they got what they want—

  • staff members would be better time managers
  • adequate funds would be available for necessities
  • the assistant’s input would be valued
  • communication with staff and members would be better

• Your own list may be different. The point is, we all have work situations we would like improved. We can focus on negatives, complain about them, and let them cause us unhappiness. Or, we can see them as only part of the picture, a part we may or may not be able to change.

• In the final analysis, it is not what goes on around you that determines how much you enjoy your work. It is how you respond to the circumstances. You can be happy in your work, not because it always gives you all you want but because you want what it gives—challenges, ways to make a difference in people’s lives, a path of service in God’s work, opportunities to grow, a means to make a living, whatever is important to you.

• Choose to be happy. Even if you have to grab that fire hose now and then!

Church Office Advice: What Color is Your Time?

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Giving time a color helps us use it better.
Giving time a color helps us use it more effectively in our work--try the advice in this article to manage this irreplaceable resource.

One of the most important lessons we can learn in life is to value our time. All our time. Once we grasp that time is the essential resource, every minute takes on new meaning. Unlike other resources—money, talent, things both tangible and intangible—time is a commodity everyone already owns in its entirety; no one has any more time than you do. The richest person in the world, the poorest, and all of us in between each have the same 24-hour day. In spite of wishes to save, buy, or stretch time, we can do none of those things. This resource is finite; it clicks off minute by minute for everyone and when the minutes are spent, there are no refunds.

• Since time is the stuff of which life is made, a sad fact in our society is that our education equips us to manage money far more than it equips us to manage time. So, many of us live half our lives or more before getting a handle on issues of time: what we want from it, how to evaluate its quality, our responsibility toward its use, ways to invest it well. How do you view time?

• One interesting concept is to begin to see your time in colors. The idea is simple enough for even children to learn and understand, but its implications are complex enough to challenge experienced time managers as well.

• In this technique, red time is time squandered, time not spent achieving goals or wants. Green time is time well spent, time that has redeeming value. Primary to using this method is understanding that green moments need not just be ones spent jogging or cleaning closets. No, there are green times of relaxation, recreation, and renewal.

• Likewise, the always busy person constantly focused on productivity may be living in red time if all that activity brings no satisfaction or sense of accomplishment. What matters most is not what your activities are, but how much those activities contribute to your quality of life, to what has value for you.

• The essential first step, then, is to identify your true goals—what you (not other people) want from your time. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Just be honest and let your wants take form on paper. Any activity that satisfies these goals is green time.

• The ideal, of course, is to live entirely in green time. The beauty of this concept is that it is possible.

• Generally, you will recognize your obviously green times; no changes necessary. Regarding the iffy green times, ask yourself, “Is this time being used to meet my goals or give me what I want from life?” If not, view those as red times regardless of how much it seems you are accomplishing.

• Ask the same question of times you see as red. You may find that what you first saw as red is really green. For instance, you may view an afternoon of crashing on your deck with a stack of magazines as time wasted, time you should have spent weeding a flower bed. But, in hindsight you may come to see this was really green time, time you needed to refresh and renew.

• Acknowledge that many routine tasks at home and at work are simply necessary; these maintenance items need not be accepted as unavoidably red. You have some choices. Can someone else do those necessary tasks for you? Or, can you introduce a green element to the job?  For example, you might delegate the filing OR you might listen to a training tape while you do the filing. You get the idea.

• One good way to enjoy more green time is to be prepared for contingencies. You can stew in red time while waiting in lines OR you can bask in green time by having a book or notepad with you to salvage those ticking minutes. You can see red while waiting for someone who has ignored a deadline OR you can move to another green project you have ready for your attention.

• Living in green takes effort. But the principle works if you will. You can use more of your time constructively.

Go for the green!

Church Office Advice: First Aid for Anger

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How to deal with anger in the church office
Anger may be a common human emotion, but how we dealing with it in a constructive way shows our obedience to Christ.

Ed. note: Christian communicators not only communicate the gospel in the materials they produce, but by their lives. As this extremely helpful article by Gayle Hilligoss shows, responding positively and constructively to anger in others and in yourself is an important communication skill to learn.

An assistant new to the church office was pondering if this was a job for her. “I’d rather face major surgery than deal with another angry member,” she wrote. “As a former school secretary I never thought I would feel so inadequate, nor did I anticipate the frustration I’d feel concerning how some people view who the ministry assistant is, what she should do, and how she should do it.”

Maybe you can relate. Perhaps you thought that, working in a church office, anger would never be part of the equation. But, then, there it was. Maybe a member’s, a staff person’s, or your own.

Even though the occasions when anger issues may be rare, every church office professional can benefit by knowing how to acknowledge anger and work through it.

Responding to ANOTHER’S anger—

Say someone comes into the office or calls. She is irate over some circumstance—something that was said or done or something that was not said or done. Now she’s unloading her anger on you.

  • Identify the problem.Listen without judging; focus on the main issue. Try to understand exactly the point of what is being said. Don’t interrupt. Allow the person to be totally heard. Stay objective; don’t allow yourself to get emotionally involved.
  • Evaluate. While you are listening is the time to decide if you are the one to hear this problem. If this is something that should properly be told to the pastor or to someone else, do interrupt and let the person know you are not the one who can best help. It is important for you not to become just a convenient person to whom disgruntled people can vent. You are not responsible for every irritant; you are responsible for yourself and your work.
  • Be responsive.Whether you can follow through or not, express empathy with an appropriate comment: “I can understand your concern.”
  • Restate.If you are continuing, briefly sum up the issue at hand, eliminating any extraneous details. Ask if you have understood correctly and hear any clarification necessary. Don’t allow this to become a rehashing of feelings. Stick to the issue.
  • Ask what you can do. The reason behind investing time and effort in listening is to try to set wrong things right. Often all people want is a show of concern, an apology, or simple assurance that they have been heard.
  • Follow through. Agree on what, if anything, will be done. Then show your professionalism by doing even more. A friendly phone call (probably not an email) a day after the discussion can ensure all parties the matter is truly resolved.

Handling YOUR OWN anger, hurt, frustration—

Perhaps the anger is not that of someone else, but yours. It can happen.

  • Toughen up your skin a little.There can be thoughtless, insensitive, immature people anywhere—even in church. Sometimes the ministry assistant becomes a target. Just remember, not every unfortunate incident deserves attention. In these situations somebody needs to be the adult. Take that role and don’t bother with the baby stuff. By the same token, be mature enough to confront when it is needful.
  • Calm down before you speak up. Confrontation cannot always be avoided, nor is it always bad. But, speaking in anger undermines credibility and diminishes your authority. Be in control of your thoughts and emotions. Prepare before airing a grievance. Know the right person to talk to and what point you want to make. Pray the matter through before involving others.
  • Stay on point.Once you meet, don’t let yourself get sidetracked by petty issues. Be clear and concise. Have a higher purpose than just to criticize, get an apology, or feel validated. State exactly what upset you and what you want to make the situation better. Conclude by asking, “How can we make this happen?” In many instances, praying together will heal whatever hurts.
  • Exhibit professionalism. Respectfully listen to the other person’s viewpoints, ideas, explanations. Be courteous, even if the courtesy is not returned. If for any reason the conversation turns disrespectful, ask if you can talk again at a later time and excuse yourself.
  • Conclude on a positive note.In the best case scenario whatever has brought about your angst will be understood and the situation resolved. At the very least you have made your views known and maintained your integrity. Say a sincere thank you. Feel good about the experience. Learn from it and move on.

“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty...”   —Psalms 16:32

Making Your Workspace Work

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Organize your office
Organize your office for church communication productivity.

You may spend more hours in your office than in any other room in your environment. How is this important space working for you?

You may not—or you may!—be able to swing a major re-do, but it is quite possible even a few little changes could make a big difference in your comfort, disposition, and productivity. Having a pleasant workspace contributes to one’s sense of being competent. An orderly office indicates to others that you are in control of the tasks and materials at hand. Workspace organization strengthens your professional image and gives members faith in your ability to handle the administrative tasks of the church.

• Give your desk the top spot.
You know your day better than anyone, but even if you divide your workday into time at a desk and a computer station, give attention to the placement of your desk. Generally it is advantageous for your desk to be facing the room’s main entrance. Having the desk at a diagonal makes for an interesting look and still gives a good vantage point. Try out possible furniture arrangements on paper; then make your move.

• Watch your back.
No piece of furniture is more important to your well-being than your desk chair. If yours is not ergonomically correct and comfortable, you owe it to yourself to do what it takes to present your case for a proper chair. If you do have a good chair, be sure you have it adjusted for the perfect fit.

• Get in the flow.
Working outward from your desk, does the physical arrangement of your computer, copier, file cabinets, and other equipment fit the flow of your daily work? Are the things you use frequently conveniently placed? Rearranging can eliminate extra steps that waste time and energy. L- and U-shaped arrangements often work well, putting things within easy reach.

• Unclutter your desktop.
The top of your desk is prime workspace and needs to be geared toward getting things done—toward action. Not storage, not filing, not decoration. Action.

Some think a cluttered desks shows others they are busy with many important projects and therefore indispensable to the work of the office. But the message others are more likely to receive is that the desk owner is in over her head. Every paper on a cluttered desktop can be seen as a decision unmade.

• Prioritize your stuff.
Uncluttered doesn’t mean empty.

Make your workspace work for you by using the accessibility principle: Keep what you use regularly within easy reach. The less an item is used, the farther from your desktop it can be. A workable rule of thumb is:
If used daily, it can live on top of the desk.
If used weekly, it can live inside the desk.
If used monthly, it can live in your office.
If used less, it can be moved to a storage closet or off-site.

• Simplify.
Applying the guidelines above involves moving things around, maybe lots of things. Do more than rearrange. Eliminate everything superfluous or nonfunctional. Be ruthless. Give yourself room to function without distraction. With the unnecessary removed, organize the essentials.

Start with a vertical file holder. Even in this digital age, dealing with paper is a fact of life. Create a set of colored folders labeled to manage the papers you routinely handle. You need never pile papers again.

Next, utilize labels. Apply a set to the dividers in your desk drawers. Label each square as to what goes there: pens, scissors, keys, rubber bands, whatever. Put things only in their appropriate squares. Moving to the workroom, label shelves to show where supplies will be stored: paper, tape, inks, and so on. When a supply in its spot gets low, it’s time to restock.

Finally, add a few carefully chosen personal touches—a plant, a photo, a painting.

• Maintain.
Once you have established a place for everything, the trick is to keep everything in its place. Schedule regular weekly times to refresh your workplace. Enjoy!