We’re in the middle of The Juicys’ nomination season, where we ask churches to share the great things they’re doing in communications. As the deadline for applications approaches, I want to share our motivation for creating The Juicys. Here are five reasons we created the awards.
Communication is central to building an impactful congregation. From big things like casting vision, to smaller details like announcing weekly events, a church that’s intentional about communication will be a healthier place. When members understand what’s going on, they feel more connected, and they become more engaged. And when they’re more engaged, there’s a better chance they’ll want to share their excitement about your church’s mission with friends.
Competition for people’s attention is fierce. External communication to your community is important. In a world where churches are competing against slick advertisers for people’s limited attention, there are too many missed opportunities by churches that just aren’t thinking about how to present themselves well to the surrounding community. People are forming opinions about your church, whether or not you’re working on your messaging. Why not be intentional about building a brand that’s true to who you are with modern design and messages that are engaging to the felt needs of people in your community?
Communication roles are underappreciated or ignored. Some churches don’t see the need for good communication. It’s viewed as too complicated, too time consuming, or just not necessary. Things like the weekly bulletin or in-service announcements become a throwaway moment instead of an intentional moment that can have a bigger impact. And in churches where there is a communications person, they’re often not given credit for the important (and often tireless) work they do.
That’s why we want to reward churches who are doing great things in communications by giving them a communications-minded prize package. We want to encourage them to keep moving forward and publicly acknowledge the awesome work they’re doing.
We hold education as a high value. We hope the stories shared by churches through The Juicys inspire and guide other churches who are looking to do similar kinds of projects. We are all in this together and can all use a boost of innovation from time to time. The Juicys aren’t just about awards and gifts, they’re about empowering churches to encourage other congregations to do better work.
God’s story deserves more. God has equipped your church with a unique set of people who can share the great work he’s doing through you. If you’re not intentional about being a good communicator, how will your community know why they should care about your church? If you’re not communicating vision, mission, and impact with your congregation, how will they become passionate participants? Marketing isn’t a bad word. It’s a tool God’s given us to connect people with his church. Great art and meaningful messaging aren’t reserved solely for corporate settings.
Ready to apply?
The deadline for nominating your church communications project is just days away. And as May 10 sneaks up, my hope is you’ll join the churches who’ve already applied in saying we believe communication matters. Your project doesn’t have to be the biggest, budget-busting thing. We’re looking for churches of any size, anywhere in the world, that are using good strategies and best practices. If you’re improving in any way, we want to share your story with other churches.
