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.

Use an invitation card to connect outreach guests with your church

By Leave a Comment

Summer Business Card Invitation vard
An invitation card can turn your outreach event from a nice time to a lasting connection to your church.

A church communicator told me about a church that held a large community outreach. They had free food and fun activities for children and families and they did it all to show the community that the church and Jesus loved them. They had a great turnout, but it didn't result in an increased response in church attendance.

The church communicator became frustrated when she talked to an unchurched friend about it because when she mentioned that her church sponsored it, the friend responded, "Your church did that? I thought the city Parks and Rec department put it on."

We put in a lot of work for events like that and I understood her frustration, but I had to gently ask her if the church gave out any kind of card or flyer to people know who sponsored it and to invite them to the church. She said, "No."

Your guests are not mind-readers

That is a typical response I hear from church leaders who put on outreach events and are disappointed in the long-term results. But, if you don't give people who attend your outreach events information about who is putting on the event and what else goes on at your church they won't know. Without clear communication and a clear invitation to return all your hard work may give people a great time—but will accomplish little in connecting them to the church or introducing them to Jesus. [Read more...]

Managing a really big task in the church office

By Leave a Comment

Big project in the church office
All church offices tackle big projects. Here is how to do them effectively.

In the church office a big task can take many forms: Offices are being relocated; updated computer software is needed; the church is hosting a major event—or a multitude of neglected small jobs finally grows into one big, overwhelming job. Whatever the source, a major task poorly handled can create more than a little turmoil.
Problems dealing with big jobs can often be traced right to the beginning.

Get off to a good start by following these three rules:

• Know the goal.
Big tasks are generally composed of many small tasks. Before starting the journey, know where you are going.
• Be sure stages of progress are clear.
Set a firm start date, a completion date, and intermediate checkpoints along the way. Spread pieces of the job evenly throughout the time allotted.
• Do first things first.
Devise a logical plan of action instead of just jumping in. Time, energy, and resources are always wasted when preliminary steps are neglected.

With rules in place, follow through—

• Stick to your start date.
In the crush of daily responsibilities it becomes easy to rationalize that “now” is not a good time to start on a big job that isn’t due for weeks. Don’t wait for the perfect time or for divine inspiration; neither is likely. A late start inevitably affects the project—target dates are missed and best efforts are blown away as you rush to catch up.

Follow your schedule.

• Pick your times.
We all have times of day when we are most energetic and sharp. Match the most challenging parts of your project to these prime times. Schedule routine parts of the task at other times convenient to your schedule.
• Divide and conquer.
Breaking each phase of the assignment into manageable parts makes it easier to keep the job rolling along and to chart progress. Treat each of these mini-deadlines seriously. A completion date may seem far away, but that is an illusion. The closer a deadline gets, the faster it rushes up to you.
• Involve others.
Enlisting volunteers or coworkers for parts of the project gives them a vested interest in the success of the task and generates added enthusiasm.
• Communicate.
Keep your team and supervisor informed. Make sure those assisting you have a clear vision of what is to be accomplished. They need to know exactly what is expected and when. Allow them to do their jobs as they see fit within the boundaries you have identified. Listen to their questions and suggestions. New ideas and solutions are often generated in the process of working through a project. Be generous with praise but direct it toward results, not simple busy work.
• Promise and give rewards.
Whether you work alone or enlist others in the big task, incentives along the way keep the job interesting and fun. Treats, however small, increase motivation and productivity. Listing the names of those who help with projects is a good practice. Most often, what gets recognized gets done.
• Chart your progress.
Setting deadlines is one thing; meeting them is another—especially when several people are involved. Visibly tracking completed steps is an effective way to make sure every detail is covered. And nothing feels better than checking that last item off the list and receiving congratulations on a job well done.

 

Why include non-holiday, “silly” celebrations to a church communication calendar?

By Leave a Comment

Silly celebrations can serve serious teaching purposes
Silly celebrations can serve serious teaching purposes--we'll show you how.

As you look over our church communication calendar, you may be thinking that you have enough trouble remembering and celebrating the major holidays—so why include events such as:

September 13: International Chocolate Day

September 28: National Good Neighbor Day

August 4: International Friendship Day

Not only are these events an excuse for fun and celebration, but I've included these to help us all be obedient to our Lord. We know the Old Testament commands God's people to make their faith part of their life. . . . .

 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  (Deut. 6:4-9 NLT).

It's a very clear command and we know we should follow it, but the question is, how can we carry it out in a natural way? How do we communicate Biblical truth to those around us in our daily lives.

For example, perhaps you've selected the command: "Love your neighbor as yourself," which Jesus says is the second great commandment. How do you make teaching that command part of your life? How do you start a discussion about it, make it a topic for learning or provide a way for either your family or congregation to put it into practice?

Some "silly" celebrations might help

There are many sites on the web that list non-traditional and what are termed "silly" celebrations (why or how the term "silly" was chosen, I have no idea, as many of these are quite serious, but that's what they are often labeled). These celebrations can be days, weeks, or months and cover topics such as: National Smile Week, Hug Holiday Day, and Make a Difference Day.

To help you make the most of these, I'll select some, put them on our calendar, and then give links to articles both on this site and outside this site that will give you ideas on how to make the most of these events to teach and train both children and churches in Christian actions.

For example: September 28: National Good Neighbor Day–a challenge to churches to be a good neighbor. Click on the link to go to an article that will give you suggestions for how your church can use this day as both a spiritual challenge and an outreach to your neighbors.

For September 13, International Chocolate Day, you can use it as a time to share love and reach out to others, click on the link for more ideas.

Additional dates will be continuously added to our calendar along with ministry ideas on how to make the most of them as opportunities to celebrate and to communicate spiritual truth. C.S. Lewis said that, "Joy is the serious business of heaven." By making the most of celebrations now, it reminds us of our eternally joyful God, even in the midst of our current heavy work loads and challenging lives.

September 13: International Chocolate Day–an excuse to celebrate!

By Leave a Comment

Celebrate Chocolate Day
Chocolate can communicate love, fun, appreciation--celebrate it at your church.

How can you not be happy when sharing chocolate? From little kids to adults of any age, it brings a smile to your face and delight to your tummy. And it can be a wonderful time to celebrate in your ministry.

For many years my husband and I were involved in Single Adults Ministry and periodically we would have chocolate celebrations. Many singles don't have a special someone to give them chocolate, so we'd host an event where we'd have a chocolate pot-luck and let them know that God and our group loved them. Sometimes we'd have a dinner first, sometimes we'd do something like show the movie "Chocolat", but the star of the event was always chocolate. It was tremendous fun and singles and their kids always enjoyed it and went home feeling quite loved and celebrated.

September 13, International Chocolate Day gives you an opportunity to celebrate in your church

There are many things that are serious in our faith and rightfully so, but we also need to intentionally remember that our God "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17). He created chocolate, what a delight it is, and it is OK to enjoy it!

You can use this day to communicate His love and joy by:

  • Creating a special chocolate goodie for break time at church and reminding the staff how much they are loved by God and what a joy it is to work with them in sharing His gospel.
  • Taking home made chocolate treats to a homeless center or pass them out on the street and reminding people how much God loves them.
  • Make up little chocolate goodie packets for home-bound or those in nursing homes and letting them know they are not forgotten.
  • Have a chocolate pot-luck of desserts after a seeker study at your church or any small group gathering to celebrate knowing each other.

Resources for celebration

For an abundance of incredible, wonderful, wish-I-wasn't-at-the-computer-so-I-could-make-some recipes, CLICK HERE for a Pinterest chocolate recipe page.

If you need some reassurance that chocolate also has health benefits—it lowers blood pressure and provides antioxidants—CLICK HERE for a WebMD article.

If the Pinterest recipes are not in your diet plan, CLICK HERE for 5 moderate ways to enjoy chocolate from SHAPE magazine.

If you'd like more about the history and use of chocolate around the world, CLICK HERE for the Wikipedia article on it.

If you have a favorite recipe, way to use chocolate, or how you celebrate with it, please share it in the comment section below—have some chocolate and thank our Lord for the joys, big and little he gives us on our journey.

 

September 28: National Good Neighbor Day–a challenge to churches to be a good neighbor

By Leave a Comment

Be a better neighbor than a fence
They say "good fences make good neighbors" --here is how our churches can do better!

They say, "good fences make good neighbors" and we certainly hope that doesn't mean our churches. This celebration gives us an opportunity to look at how neighborly we are as a church and as followers of Jesus.

First a little bit about the holiday itself: Becky Mattson from Montana initiated the idea, three presidents (Nixon, Ford, and Carter) issued proclamations, and finally in 2003, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution making Sept. 28 National Good Neighbor Day.

You don't need to be a citizen of the U.S. to celebrate, as the concept of being a good neighbor is an integral part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, as the following passage reminds us:

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” (Luke 10:25-28, ESV)

To celebrate National Good Neighbor Day, here are two suggestions for communications,  blogs, tweets, ministry actions that will help us grow to be like Jesus:

Be a good church neighbor

Many churches are in neighborhoods and to celebrate National Good Neighbor Day, think of what you might do for your neighbors:

  • Consider a trash pick-up, fixing up a local park or other area, starting a community garden.
  • Take time to evaluate if you have been a good neighbor as a church.
  • Look at the noise, trash, parking issues and other inconveniences the church causes your neighbors.
  • Take time to apologize and do what you can about problems and work with your neighbors and congregation to solve them.

Take a survey of how many people who are within walking distance of the church and who attend your church or any church. If a large number of them are unchurched, be intentional as the fall holiday season approaches on how you might invite them to church activities. (CLICK HERE for Fall Holiday Outreach ideas).

Help your hurting neighbors

An immediate response to this suggestion is most likely the same one that the lawyer in the story above responded to Jesus, "and who is my neighbor?"

Just as Jesus answered by telling the story we know as the Good Samaritan, it is so easy to forget how repulsive a bleeding and bloody man by the side of the road was to help. The obvious application to us is: Who in our world is the repulsive neighbor we don't want to help?

  • Is it the dirty, homeless person pushing their grocery cart of clothes and cans?
  • Is it the immigrant we wish would go away?
  • Is it the person at church whose sin is obvious and morally offensive to us?

The Samaritan stopped on his journey and got involved at significant personal cost to someone he didn't know, who religious people ignored, and whose race hated him. He had every physical, religious, economic, and racial reason to walk by—but he didn't.

And how would Jesus have us take these challenges as we celebrate Good Neighbor Day? We know his answer:

Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37, ESV)