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; Effective Church Communications can help.

What is the voice of your communications?

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I've been listening, studying, considering a lot of videos recently as I work on a major renovation of my church communication YouTube Channel. I've focused on two areas for my unscientific, random research:

1.  Some of the most popular videos as identified by the USA TODAY listing. This list in itself is a significant cultural shift point here and one churches need to note--USA TODAY now fills about a third of  the day's television schedule with what it considers important website videos.
2.  Specifically educational videos, everything from Ted Talks and Khan Academy to home-schooling English lessons and Bible teaching online.

Aside from the obvious differences in content, one thing that has struck me forcefully is the tone, the voice of various videos.

Many of the videos in "most popular" category on YouTube are of people speaking loudly, often outrageously and profanely. I'm not a fan and not familiar with these current small screen sensations, but the same voice of snarky superiority  seems to characterize many of them. Another characteristic voice of many is outrageous and angry, while self-assured of their right to be outrageous and angry. If a smirk can be translated into a voice, this is a base note of many.

After a short exposure to some of them, it was obvious who was listening to who, who was a follower, a disciple of this tone of voice. The current celebrity source is easy to identify; the spiritual source a little more challenging, but it is clear who it is not from. It is clearly not from Jesus.

The contrasting voice of Jesus

What does Jesus voice sound like? Though the entire Bible is literally his Word, his voice to us,  the following passage from John 10 is instructive. I've italicized the passages pertaining to Jesus voice--consider them as you read:

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A new Blog section added to Effective Church Communications

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Yvon looking off to side pic
In this blog I'll try to keep you updated with what is going on behind the scenes, about changes and I'll also share prayer requests. One silly detail--I usually don't wear a suit when I'm working--just finished a Skype interview here.

Why this new blog on ECC:

I talk to myself (and the Lord) quite a bit as I put together the material for this website. I spend most of day in a tiny office (a rather delightful one--I must share pictures one of these days, need to tidy first) working on the computer creating publications, recording videos, wrestling materials into formats for distribution online, and then creating the email newsletters to let you know they are on the website waiting for you.

Because I work alone and because I very much need your prayers and input, I've tried various systems to keep both visitors and members updated--but doing that in newsletters, Facebook, and Twitter (which I will still do) all have the drawback of being a very fleeting communication. When the current communication stream on these passes along, the message is pretty much out of sight and mind. The blog I'm adding will enable you to go back and check out an updates, prayer requests, and news when you want through the "Blog" tab on the home page.

I will use this to communicate ECC news to you and then using the comments section you can either respond, comment, or ask a question about a topic. This will be very useful because then your communications won't get lost in the many kinds of email that flood my ECC email. You don't have to respond or comment. I know all of you who come to this site are extremely busy and it really bothers me when blogs or articles ask inane questions at the end so people will make unnecessary or useless comments. This is often done, I suspect to either increase search engine ranking from the host's part or to sometimes express an opinion better left unexpressed on the part of the audience.

I hope the previous statement didn't come across as too harsh. Many of you have made helpful, useful comments in the past and I treasure them. I simply did not want you to think that because I'm starting a blog here, you have to comment. Read quickly, pray for me and Effective Church Communications, and get back to work—we have a world to win for Jesus!

friday miscellany #6: How I create training videos, Mobile checkin for Children’s ministry, FREE software for illustration presentations & more

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Issue #6 of friday miscellany, links that are helpful, useful, fun & inspiring for church communicators

The newsletters sent out during the week link you to sources on the Effective Church Communications site that are primarily "how-tos" in church communications.  However, there are many more resources, sites, tips, and ideas that I come across that may be useful for church communicators. Here are the ones for this Friday.

Please pass this on to your friends and other church communications groups.

Video: How I create training videos--software, process, tips

Over the last few years I've created over 100 videos on a variety of topics to help church communicators. I get great feedback from many of you on how much they help and in addition to that I've had a number of requests for questions on how I do them.  Several church communicators have suggested that this type of video would be great to do to help church volunteers learn various tasks and I agree.
CLICK HERE to go to a video that is an overview of the software I use, my process and some tips.

Mobile Check-in–a new way to accommodate the needs of young families

The church management software company, By the Book. has stepped into the digital age in a big way with their new way of checking in children at church with any mobile device. Here is how they describe it:

Imagine deploying your volunteers throughout your church building, armed with iPads or smartphones ready to check folks in.  Then by the time those same folks walk over to the  printing station, their name tags and security tags are already printed and waiting for them.  Do you have a bus ministry?  Now you can check those kids in as soon as they hop on the bus.  When they get to the church, their name tags are there waiting for them.  Well, this is now available. . . .

CLICK HERE to read more.

Linotype, the Film…..or how typesetting was done before computers

Typography is a topic of almost endless fascination to many of us who love words and work hard to craft our messages. Though our message is unchanging, during my lifetime the methods for communicating this message have changed dramatically. One part of the history of type has recently been made into a movie and one of the ECC readers sent me this fantastic movie trailer about Linotype machines, which were extraordinary for their time in how they were able to cast an entire line of type rather than a typesetter having to assemble them letter by letter.
CLICK HERE to see the movie trailer and find out more.

Fun Illustration creation software

This is a situation where I had so much fun playing around with this, I couldn't wait to share it--even though I don't know very much about it. This software, POWTOONS is still in beta, but it is very easy to play around with and allows you to create some sketch-like presentations without actually having to draw anything. It would be great for church announcements.
CLICK HERE for more information on the program.

FREE, legal music tracks for your videos and podcasts

It isn't easy finding truly FREE music  that is legal for your videos and podcasts. Though this site does not have a lot of specifically Christian music it does have many instrumentals that can be used in videos and podcasts. In addition, it is one of the most honest, easy-to-use, free music sites I've looked at.

This is the site I used for the music for the POWTOONS video I created in the article above. I simply downloaded the music from ccmixter and imported it into the POWTOONS file. I copied the attribution and put it in the YouTube video file and on my website. Super easy--I may try putting music on some more of my videos in the future.
CLICK HERE for more.

How to take, modify, and use photos more effectively in print and online

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Ed. note: at the end of this article are links to videos that illustrate how to modify photos for ministry impact and a very useful, free program that will help you do that.
Photographs can be one of the most powerful communication tools in church communications and today there is almost no cost to producing them in digital format. However, in this situation, more isn't always better (look at most photo albums on Facebook) and a review of why photographs are useful in ministry and church communications and how to produce more effective ones may be useful.

Why photos are important in church and ministry communications

They are impossible to ignore. People can easily ignore page after page in print or online of what might well be very important text, but they can't flip through a newsletter or website without looking at the pictures and  reading the captions associated with them.

Because people will always be drawn to a photo and because they can have a powerful effect on the ability of your church to communicate its message, following are some tips that will help your photos be more effective.

Photos that tell a ministry story

Head shots or formally posed pictures don't tell you much of anything about a person. If you want your audience to know something about your staff, missionaries or whoever else you want to feature, you have to do more than share a head shot. Get your subject involved in action. A head shot merely labels a person, an action shot tells a story.

Think of how much more people would learn about your leadership if instead of a mug shot of the minister each time you had his column in your newsletter or blog, you had a picture of him in action. Use pictures of him with his family, interacting with a Sunday school class, or in his study. Capture him participating in a hobby, or at a church activity. A series of photos such as these would give a more rounded representation of your pastor as a person.

Additional tips to help you to get good people pictures

It is said that public speaking is people's number one fear, even above dying. I disagree. I think it's having your picture taken. I've seen countless people in ministry who are comfortable speaking to hundreds of people turn into jelly when approached by a camera. What is even worse than the fear of getting your picture taken is the result. A stiff, formal shot of a person clearly not enjoying the process doesn't communicate any reality about the person.

Pictures are put into publications and on the web so people can see the people involved in the ministry. But the strained person standing up against a white wall with a terrified expression is not the same person who can captivate a room full of sixth graders with stories about Jesus. The severe look on the face of the man in the buttoned up suit is not the same pastor who chopped wood for you when your husband was sick or comforted your niece when she lost her baby.

The pictures you take of people in ministry are of people God uses to inspire lives and change souls for eternity. Your challenge in taking pictures is to capture that person, who they are, and share him or her in your communications.

One of the best ways I've found to capture the real person is to photograph them doing what they do best-in the midst of ministry. If they work with kids, take a picture of them with kids; if they preach, photograph them preaching.

If you can't do that, at least take someone with you to talk to them while you are taking pictures. I've found this method works great even for people who hate to have their picture taken or don't normally photograph well. People in ministry tend to be interactive people—they come alive in relationships with others. Often when you've got them talking to someone else you can take a photograph that shows them at their best. It also takes their mind off the experience of being photographed.

You have to be brave to get the best shots

It isn't easy to get the good, gutsy photos; to get in the middle of ministry situations and shoot incredible pictures. It's easier to line people up against a wall or have them squint into the sun and smile on the count of three, but you'll never get a memorable photo doing that.

One possible solution is in your head to play photo journalist; be another person. Get in the middle of the group, on a chair, on the floor, shoot at odd angles. Talk to your subjects; get them interacting and take lots of pictures. Forget all about yourself and catch your subjects being themselves.

Photographs of sensitive situations

Sometimes photos are too real. In ministry we deal with some really tough situations: hunger, pain, disabilities, emotional and mental problems. The challenge is to illustrate these situations while retaining the dignity of the people involved.

Show the results of your ministry, not the problem that prompted it

• This means showing your youth group involved in serving meals at the senior center, not kids hanging out by graffiti­ covered walls.

• This means showing children fed and at school, not starving and holding their hands out.

• This means showing women working and healed and not battered and poor.

Not only does this kind of photography emphasize the good news of the gospel, but this way a person is not forever labeled in your photograph as a victim.

Final tips on effective photos for your church or ministry

• This is not portrait photography or studio work. You are taking pictures to use to communicate a message.

• Choose your photos for placing in publications or on the web as carefully as you choose your words.  Don't just dump the entire digital file on a page. Be sure the photo backs up the message of your words.

• A photo of a large group where you can't see anyone clearly is like a story with too many words. Just one person doing what the event is all about gets to the point of the story.

• Cut extra stuff from the photo as you would cut out extra words. The contemporary style for photographs, especially head shots, is very tight cropping.

• Drama is always more important than quality. Concentrate on taking pictures that tell a story.

Finally, ALWAYS caption your photos—in print and on the web—a picture may be worth a thousand words, but without a caption, the question is, "Which thousand?" People will make up a meaning in a photo if you don't tell them what you want them to see.

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Click on the title to go to the video

 How to turn a simple photo into a powerful illustration

How to download a FREE image editing software: Paint.net

 

Bait and switch is not a tool for church communication–two sad examples of it

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bait and switchThough bait and switch most often refers to the retail realm, it can also apply in many other areas as this definition from Wikipedia clarifies: "Bait-and-switch is a form of fraud, most commonly used in retail sales but also applicable to other contexts."

The Wikipedia article goes on to describe how bait and switch is used in many areas of contemporary life including the obvious teaser rates for the airline and travel industry, hotel and resort pictures that show non-existent levels of excellence, dating sites that post fake profiles, and methods of authoring legislation that hide the complete intent of a proposed bill.

This use of bait and switch, of a headline or link promising one thing, but not delivering what was expected, has become so pervasive in the media that many readers are no longer shocked or outraged, but meekly and quietly assume that you can't trust much of what you read or hear and if you get taken in by false of misleading claims, you, the reader, simply were not careful enough.

Caveat emptor, "Let the buyer beware," may be the rule for anything we read from the secular market place, but it should not need to be our response to communications from writers and organizations that claim Jesus as Lord. Sadly, this isn't always the case.

Remember who you represent

Christian communicators serve the Savior who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6).

We are Christ's ambassadors, as 2 Cor. 5:20 says, "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God"

Let that sink in. As a Christian communicator, you speak for God. A core description of your communications should be that they are true.

To make that practical to you in your church communication work, following, I'll discuss:

  • How the reality that we are Christ's ambassadors applies in Christian communication
  • Some overall guidance on how we should communicate as ambassadors
  • Two examples of bait and switch in Christian communications
  • Application and advice on how not to be guilty of bait and switch  in your communications

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