Blog

As we jump in to 2012, it can be a time to look ahead at some big picture things we can do during the upcoming calendar year.  And for me there are a few ideas that are really stuck in my head of ways churches can become stronger communicators in 2012. 

Narrow your communication stream and simplify your message.    Too often, church communication is scattered and uncoordinated. Instead of using a medium that makes sense for a congregation, churches try to use everything.  That leads to emails, bulletins, posters, worship slides, Facebook pages, newsletters and more inundating your congregation.  It can lead to a range of problems from massive duplication to having to search through tons of stuff to find the one thing you’re looking for.  Instead, look at how you best communicate with your congregation.  What works?  Get rid of everything else.  Force yourself to do it.  Centralize what you need to say using those tools and don’t let ministries go rogue by doing their own thing outside the system you set up.

Beyond consolidating your communication, challenge yourself to say more in fewer words.  Simplify how you talk about your church’s vision and the message your preaching from week to week.  People can consume information much better in smaller chunks.  It also makes it easier for them to share. 

Take action.  Be in your community.  As churches, we’ve gotten good at creating and hosting events aimed at reaching our community.  But in reality, how well are these events really working?  Sure they’re easy to measure and it’s great to see a large group of people in our buildings, but are these events truly serving us more than our community?

What would it say about a church if it went in to the community to serve? What if it worked with other organizations in its community to identify needs to address?  Wouldn’t that really show we care about our community and not ourselves?

Look at the events you do and really decide how effective they are.  If you’re reaching new people and bring people into a closer relationship with Christ, they are working.  If you’re doing them just because that’s what’s you’ve always done, it’s probably time for change.

Stop putting off developing your church’s online presence.  Too many church websites and social media decisions are stuck in committee.  Increasingly, people are searching for your church online before ever walking into your physical building.  Plus they’re not just looking at you but up to a dozen other churches, too.  Does your online presence (or lack thereof) represent you well?

I understand that web and social media may be a foreign language for many of your churches.  But so is HVAC.  If the heat goes out, do you ignore it or get it fixed?  You find people who know what they’re doing to help you.  Whether it’s a professional or someone in your church, find the people who understand the technology to help you and guide you.  We’re here to try and help, too.

I don’t care as much about the medium as I do about you doing it well.  If you’re best option is to use Facebook as your primary website, that’s fine.  If Twitter isn’t for your congregation, that’s cool.  But here’s the truth -- people expect to see you online and they’re comparing you not just to other churches but other organizations.  Don’t miss an opportunity to reach people just because new technology may not be your thing.

If your website is good to go, look at your social media presence to see if there are areas you can improve.  I think 2012 will continue to see growth in social sharing.  Again, the medium doesn’t matter as much the content you’re providing.  Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instragram or something else, use it the best that you can.

It may be daunting for you to try to take some of this on.  I understand that.  But I want to encourage you.  2012 can be the year you take a step in a new direction with one or all of these things.  And maybe the needs of your church fall beyond this list.  But I believe the local church has a place to provide real answers and service in our communities.  You can be that agent of change that leads your church to great things in 2012.  We have the best story in the world to share so let’s get going!