For most church communicators, weeks are filled with attending ministry meetings, responding to yet another promotional request, and wearing multiple hats around the office. In the midst of the busyness, it can be easy to lose focus and default to a reactionary communication approach.
The best way to combat the busyness is to build a weekly communication strategy around a few foundational principles. With that in mind, here are three basic elements that church communicators should make sure are included every single week in their communication plan.
Connect to Sunday
Sunday is the “big day” for churches and can be used as a launch point for creating and sharing content throughout the week. Connect your church and community back to what took place on Sunday as the church gathered together. This could be in the form of creating quotes or scripture graphics from the Sunday sermon, sharing an application step based on the message, or even taking a video clip from the sermon to post on social media.
Not only should you connect people back to Sunday but you should also give a preview of what lies ahead. Share a sneak peek of what to expect the coming Sunday and why it’s important to be a part of it. Share the Sunday setlist ahead of time to prepare for corporate worship. Show a teaser of the message topic and a call-to-action for your members to bring a guest with them. Post a photo of your volunteers getting ready for Sunday morning and tell people you can’t wait to see them. These are easy ways to build anticipation and invite people to gather together each Sunday.
Cast the mission and vision
Look for creative ways and compelling stories to keep the mission (why your church exists) in front of people all throughout the week. Your mission should be the unifying thread in any and every piece of communication at your church.
Here are a few ideas to get you started —
- Share a story from one of your mission teams or church planters around the world.
- Emphasize opportunities to get connected in small groups and local outreach teams where people can grow in their relationship with Jesus.
- Share a photo along with a short story of how a volunteer has experienced life change by serving others.
- Highlight a core value with a photo of someone taking a next step through baptism or of your worship team and include a blurb describing the value.
Prioritize Promotions
Review your church calendar and determine the top three things that need to be communicated that week. This should begin with all-church events and next steps that apply to 80% or more of your Sunday morning audience and flow from there. This tiered approach provides clarity about which items need to be included in the weekly communications and prevents information overload. It also sets the standard for staff and ministry teams to understand why, when and how certain things are communicated.
Remember the most effective way to get people connected is through personal relationships and conversations—not all church promotions. Remind your ministry leaders of this from time to time. Encourage small group and volunteer leaders to share what's happening in the church, as they are more likely to know about events happening and get others involved.
What do you think? What other things need to happen each week in your church communications?
