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 a Biblical Perspective to help churches create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. Our tools constantly change; our task doesn’t; we can help.

Simple Timely Tips for the Holiday Season beyond the PC by Gayle Hilligoss

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Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed note: We all need ways to save time, but at no time more so than at the holiday season. The computer makes so many things possible, but with that come increasing demands and Gayle's advice will help you in ways that will help no matter what technology you have in your church office.

The computer has taken over so many office tasks it could be easy to neglect the scores of time saving tips having nothing to do with technology. Here are some to review—and to keep in your tool box:

• Plan your errands. Make one trip do the work of several. Visit banks and stores at their least busy times.

• Accumulate matters to discuss with your supervisor rather than having several conversations during the day.

• Let a ring of the telephone signal you to relax for a mini-second. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, ease your shoulders, smile.

• Sort mail when it arrives. Make a stack for each person; place priority mail on top.

• Instead of taking time to read non-essential mail when it arrives, put it on hold in a convenient drawer. Scan it for helpful information during your low-energy time.

• Develop simple forms for hospital information, requests for assistance, funeral arrangements, and the like.

• Use the four Ds of paperwork. Each time you are confronted with paper, either Do it, Delegate it, Delay it, or Drop it.

• Handle each piece of paper as few times as possible. Each time you handle a document move it toward its ultimate purpose.

• Keep a list of needed supplies on the inside of the supply cabinet door. Check your list before each visit to the store or online order.

• Order spares of necessary supplies. Emergency purchases waste time and money.

• Keep your desk orderly. Avoid UPOs (Unidentified Piled Objects). Have a place for everything. Clutter is a time and energy waster.

• Purge files regularly. As much as 90 percent of material filed is never used after the first year.

• Establish a message center at your desk for staff members. A message center for church officers, committee members and others who are in the office seldom is best in an area away from your desk.

• When you work, work. When you relax, relax. Take breaks away from your desk rather than bringing a snack to your desk and having a “working” break.

• When counting cards, count only a fraction of what you need—25, 50, or 100— and stack. Make other stacks of the same height until you have the required number.

• Eliminate forgotten enclosures and save the time involved in sending them in a second letter. Put a paper clip at the enclosure notation before giving a letter to your supervisor to sign. When the letter comes back to you, you’ll be reminded to send the necessary enclosures.

Time management is a skill to be learned like any other. There is no magic formula, just basic principles. Right now you have the knowledge you need to make a significant step toward enhancing your time management ability. Put what you know into practice and you will see results.

 

 

Church office professionals—Commit to excellence!

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Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: In the church, our ultimate authority is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. With that in mind, we should do everything we can to reflect His excellence. This wonderfully encouraging and inspiring article by Gayle Hilligoss will help you do just that.

Every ministry assistant wants to excel, to be capable and competent, to be recognized as a valuable support person. Amid the many personalities involved in the life of the church, achieving the confidence to perform responsibilities with poise and good humor can be a challenge.

Though you have no control over the style or personality of the people with whom you work, you have total control over your own personal conduct. Whether working with a new minister or continuing as part of an established team, the excellent support person can rely on these techniques. As you check over the list, look for a new strategy or two to add to your ministry skills.

• Evaluate your working style.

Scrutinize and sharpen your professional image by asking yourself: am I punctual? well-prepared? organized? well-groomed? appropriately dressed? How does the office look? Do files need to be cleaned out or updated? Rather than just doing what occurs to you at the time, make a conscientious decision about how you conduct business. Create a consistent style that shows your true self. Project quality in all you do.

• Think—and behave—positively.

Look for the good in people and in situations. Be objective, realistic, and fair in assessing the work of others. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Practice good manners. A great deal of what we do is done by habit; develop the habit of operating from the bright side. Avoid annoying habits: chewing gum, eating in the office, inappropriate language. Keep personal problems to yourself.

• Stay informed.

Keep learning by taking computer, website building, and desktop publishing courses. Brush up on the basics. Read the ministry journals your pastor reads; know what is happening in your denomination. Update skills in letter writing and telephone communication. Take the initiative in seeking continuing education opportunities to enhance your professionalism. Take advantage of webinars and online resources to expand your knowledge. Explore Facebook, blogs, and Twitter; discover ways to use these avenues to broaden your communication horizons.

 

• Assiduously avoid listening to rumors. Someone may try to convince you the new pastor is making changes too quickly. Another may opine he is insensitive to older members. Sidestep such conversations when you can; do whatever it takes not to be drawn in. You have too many productive things to do to waste time on what is always destructive.

• Develop your people skills.

Recognize yourself as a member of the team. Make it your goal to project an authentic image of effectiveness, caring, and unity of purpose. See people as your vocation. Take your work seriously, but never yourself. A sense of humor is an invaluable asset in getting along with others.

Realize true ministry is seldom convenient; often it requires going that extra mile. Strive to be the kind of person you would choose for your position. Nothing is ever gained by being at cross purposes with others. In matters of controversy, choose to be the adult.

• Communicate your support.

Being an assistant is a noble calling. Never doubt what you do is valuable. You know you are not indispensable, but your work is important. Let your ministers know by both word and deed you are supportive of them. Show your pastor your purpose is to serve. Encourage comments and suggestions on how you can extend and expand your responsibilities. Make yourself available for new tasks. Have confidence in your ability to make a positive difference as you contribute toward ministry goals.

• Move forward.

Turn loose of the way things were. Work to adjust to the way things are now. You may find the new way is even better than the old one, once you get used to it. If not, there is still no benefit in dwelling on what is in the past.

Enthusiastically face the challenge of ever-present change by committing yourself to excellence.—

 

 

Church Office Organization 101: to make your work more productive and enjoyable

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Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Organization: to pull or put together into an orderly, functional, structured whole.

 Experienced ministry assistants agree organization is a primary requisite for effectiveness. Who would know better? In the midst of what often seems the classic definition of disorganization, you are the one responsible for a well functioning office.

Here are six simple steps to use and share with others in your office. Practicing these few fundamentals makes for a more organized, more productive, more enjoyable work experience.

• Have a place for everything. Store things in convenient locations, close to where they are used. We all know the theory, yet offices are filled with examples of it being ignored: supplies stored so three items must be moved to get to what is needed; the tape dispenser that might be here or there; a printer located several steps from the computer.

• Return each item to its place immediately after use. No piling, tucking into alternative spots, or accumulating to return items when it is convenient. Developing this valuable habit is not difficult; you can do it. You can even pass the habit along to others. One admin uses stickers on scissors, tape, and other loaners from the office: “Glad to help. Please return me to my place.” She uses sign-out sheets for larger items.

• Periodically unclutter. At least once a week (daily is better), look around and see what you can remove from the office. Find a file, catalog, any item you have no further use for and pitch it. Look for items to recycle, donate, or put into storage. Keep on your desk only those things you use constantly throughout the day; stow everything else. The fewer things in the office, the easier it is to keep them organized.

• Uncomplicate. When it comes to organization, simple is best. If a paper day planner works for you, don’t be intimidated to go digital. If manila folders get the job done well, entering everything on the computer is not advantageous to organization. Use the most uncomplicated method to do the job well.

• Streamline. Look for shortcuts in every repetitious job. Identify a task that could be made simpler by the use of a form—taking reservations, getting items for the newsletter, compiling records, whatever. Make a sample form; print a few and give them a trial run. Or have someone observe how you do a routine job and ask for suggestions on trimming time. Finish and clear your desk of one project before starting another.

• Schedule your tasks. As important as having a place for everything is having a time for everything. Whether your supervisor directs or not, plan your recurring jobs for specific days and times. Set aside blocks of time for related tasks. Before starting a job, estimate the time necessary. After the job is completed, check your estimate against the actual time consumed. This helps you organize future workflow.

Obviously, your agenda will sometimes be interrupted (emergencies never happen when it’s convenient). But, having a plan tends to keep you on track and gets you back to your priority once the crisis has passed.

In spite of inevitable exceptions, you can follow these steps more often than not. Try it and see. Organization is well worth the effort.

 

Church offices: How to get ready for Fall 2011

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Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: another school year is about to start and 2011 is almost three-quarters gone. It's easy to panic about all the things we have to do and all that is ahead in the many church demands of the fall. Gayle's wonderful article will give you the encouragement you need to make the most of it.

Fall and the start of a new school year is a good time both to reflect and to project—a time to look back and consider what you’ve experienced and learned, a time to look ahead to where you will go next. One sure sign of personal progress is the realization that you not only know smart things, but that you do those smart things. You will know, feel, when it happens. The difference is beyond measure.

• Put first things first. Sometimes we stay so busy doing the good that we neglect the best. Pray for wisdom to know what is truly important to you. Then give your time, energy, and love to those things first. Unless you make a deliberate effort to set priorities and to stick with them, your days will be filled 
with other people’s priorities and not your own.

• Respect time.
Understand that time is the most precious resource you have; without it you have nothing. Spend your hours and your minutes wisely. Plan your days rather than just letting them happen.

• Stay calm.
Know what matters—and be passionate about those things. Know what doesn’t matter—and don’t let those things get you down. You know you are becoming more mature when you control your emotions instead of allowing them to control you.

• Take care of yourself.
Your body is a gift from God; being as fit as you can be is a testimony in itself. Eat wisely, exercise, get sufficient rest, schedule regular checkups. Don’t allow lesser activities to keep you from a daily walk. Commit to some healthy extras: swimming, biking, whatever you like. Few of us do all we could or should. But we can!

• Nourish your mind.
God’s world is a wondrous place. Learn something new every single day. Today, look at a flower and be amazed. Tonight, go outside and gaze at the stars. Tomorrow, visit the library and check out books on a subject you know nothing about. Or use the Internet to travel a new part of the world. Talk with someone—and not on a cell phone. Think new thoughts. Grow wise.

Now you know smart things. And you can do them!

 

 

 

Administrative Assistants: 25 Things your boss wants you to know, part two

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Article by Gayle Hilligoss

Ed. note: After reading part one of this list, you might feel like you can't measure up. But this second part starts out with great encouragement—Be resilient! This article continues with great advice to help you be all you can be in the church office.

Administrative Assistants: 25 Things your boss wants you to know, part two

13. Be resilient about foul-ups. Mistakes and misunderstandings are normal. Never make them more important than they are. Take control of your temperament. No one can ruin your day unless you allow it. Whether you or someone else is responsible for a glitch, learn to shake it off. Nothing good ever happens to those who keep moaning about the past. Surprise and delight your boss and others by handling things right when things go wrong.

14. Look ahead. Be prepared. Anticipate upcoming projects, both yours and the boss’. Have available the resources, skills, or personnel needed to get the job done. Use calendaring and scheduling programs to keep you on track. Inform others early on when you will need their input to complete a project. Making your personal deadline for the task a little before the real deadline allows you the luxury of having time to polish the project and make changes if you wish.

15. Offer solutions, not problems. In dozens of ways bosses express the idea, “Don’t bring me problems, bring me options.” When you face a situation that must be brought to the attention of your executive, be prepared with some possible solutions. Research the situation and propose three ways to deal with it. Do your homework. Have the facts and figures down cold. When considering purchases, resist any tendency to base solutions on cost alone. Realize while it is smart to be thrifty, it is dumb to be cheap. Present your options in an objective, businesslike way. Keep emotions under control. Be assured that even if the boss doesn’t choose one of your options, you’ve established yourself as a problem solver.

16. When in doubt, ask. Even careful listeners sometimes are unsure about instructions. Never hesitate to ask others to clarify themselves. Take notes. You may have a great memory, but get it on paper. If what you’re hearing doesn’t sound just right, make sure what you are hearing is really what they are saying. Making assumptions is always risky. Usually a simple question will clear up a situation before it gets sticky. Asking saves time, dollars, efforts, and tempers.

17. Think it through before you say it. How will the answer you give a phone caller be perceived by that person? Consider expressions you use regularly. Do they reflect positively on you, the church, and your executive? Never allow yourself to be pressured into snap decisions. A helpful expression in anyone’s vocabulary is, “Let me think about that and get back to you.” Then, be sure you do.

Even “no” can be said in a positive way. State first what you can do: “I’ll be happy to run those copies for you.“ Then indicate what you can’t do: “however I’ll not be able to type up the originals today.” Add any provisions you want to make: “If someone else can make the originals you can have the copies today. Or if you’d rather wait until the newsletter goes out Wednesday, I can do the job then. Whatever is best for you.” Don’t waste time on negative conversations. Think first; then speak.

18. Understand the boss’ idiosyncrasies. What makes your boss smile? What makes your boss frown? Does he prefer to get information by email, a note, or verbally? When you care about small things important to your executive, you enhance your own professionalism. Sometimes your minister will tell you personal preferences. More often you will find out by simply observing.

19. Accept criticism objectively. Resolve never to take criticism as a personal attack. Learn what you can from it, resist trying to justify your actions, and always consider the source. Take criticism for what it is worth. Sometimes it’s worth a lot; sometimes it is not.

20. Protect the church’s reputation and privacy. Avoid the frivolous discussion of church business and people. Be able to sidestep questions gracefully. You need not lie; you simply do not owe an answer to everyone who asks an inappropriate question. Treat privileged information with respect. If you make it your practice never to discuss office happenings with family and friends you will never have to remember what is open for discussion and what is not. Everyone admires, and trusts, the person who shuns gossip in all forms.

21. Maintain your integrity. There is no substitute for character. Your morals, ethics, and personal standards make you the person you are. As you serve in your office you are in a unique position to make a difference in the lives of others. Be aware of your witness. Exercise personal discipline in your life. A clear conscience never costs as much as it is worth.

22. Be interested in the big picture. Learn as much as you can about the church. Get to know people and call them by name. Know who the decision makers are and what issues are of primary concern. Study denominational structure and po

lity. Be aware of your boss’ ministry goals and discover how you can help those goals be reached. Read what the boss reads. It will give you a better background for your work than a college degree.

23. Get along with people. Avoid squabbles with coworkers and members by giving others the benefit of the doubt. The boss

is not interested in who is “right” in these battles. Even if you are right, you will look bad for getting involved. Never assume others are operating from your point of view. Different perspectives, when expressed objectively, are constructive. Effective office teams often include a mix of personality types: a planner, a detail person, a risk taker, a traditionalist. If you do disagree, do it agreeably. Stay calm.

24. Nurture your spiritual life. It is a paradox but sometimes working at the church can actually be detrimental to your faith. A daily quiet time is essential. Caught up in the business, and the busyness, of the church you may find it difficult to put work aside and to reserve time for worship. Church members, even the minister, may contribute to the problem. Let others know how important your worship time is and work out appropriate solutions. Take responsibility for your own spiritual renewal.

25. Have confidence in yourself. You are already doing a far better job than you realize. You have what it tak

es to continue to succeed. Periodically evaluate your working style. Are you punctual? well prepared? organized? well groomed? appropriately dressed? How does the office look?

When you project quality in all you do, you gain an attractive confidence that allows you to meet every challenge. Value your considerable contribution to ministry. Whether anyone tells you or not, you are appreciated!

To read Part ONE of this article, CLICK HERE