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.

Managing Change—advice for ministry assistants, part two

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Change and ministry assistants
More advice on how to handle change in the church office.

Ed. note:  There was so much good advice and material that takes time to think through and apply, we split the article into two parts. To read part one of this article, CLICK HERE. 

Managing Change—advice for ministry assistants, part two

• Be patient with those who do not respond well to change. When several members abused the church’s office equipment, Carol’s office initiated new guidelines for equipment use. In spite of thoughtful announcements and careful explanations, some could not (well, actually would not) accept the policy changes. Carol’s patience prevented the situation from getting out of control; at the same time, she did not cave in to those who felt they should be exceptions to the rule.

• Focus on excellence. Doing things well gives confidence. Confidence allows you to manage change constructively. Even during the most complex transitions, the value of excellence remains constant. Apply your efforts for excellence to your personal life. Be good to yourself: eat wisely, exercise sensibly, get enough rest, build some quiet time into each day. Maintain your spiritual life.

• Keep lines of communication open. The ability to hear and understand one another is always important; during times of change it becomes vital. Talk with those involved in the transition. Exchange concerns. Ask questions. Welcome opinions and insight. Brainstorm ideas for making the process work smoother.

• Clarify new policies. If the change is one that dictates how situations will be handled or how tasks will be done, monitor the system. Evaluate how it is working. Make adjustments as needed. Once the policy is working, get guidelines in print and, if necessary, have them approved by the proper body.

• Celebrate your results. Once the transition is in hand, review the steps taken along the way. Appreciate your part in making the process work. Recognize the contributions of others. Congratulations are in order. You are ready to move on to the next challenge.

Managing Change—advice for ministry assistants, part one

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Change advice by Gayle Hilligoss
Change is always scary, but the advice in the article will help you navigate it successfully.

Ed. note: Gayle Hilligoss returns to ECC after not writing for a few months and it is great to have her back. This article is so packed with good advice, I cut it into two parts. Take time to think through and apply what she says--change is constant today and this advice in your heart will keep you prepared. Your pastor leaves.

A new pastor arrives. Staff members move or come onboard. Software is upgraded. Computers crash. You gain additional responsibilities. Another assistant is hired. The church moves into a new building. Some members of the church are in turmoil. New programs are started. A birthday brings challenges. Marriage, divorce, a birth or a death causes a transition. A tragedy hits close to home. These are just some of the changes ministry assistants have faced during the past year. Regardless of the type of change affecting you, consider these strategies for managing transition. Each can be adapted to fit whatever change you are experiencing—personal or professional.

• Acknowledge that change is constant and need not be viewed as bad. Review your attitude; is your first instinct when thinking about new circumstances a negative one? Initiate a positive change by simply deciding to look for the good in any transition. See your new situation as an opportunity for growth.

• Resolve to learn from the experience. Rather than being swept up in runaway emotions that may overcome others, stay calm. Assess your strengths; identify skills you already have that will help you deal with your new situation. Then determine what new skills would be helpful and make plans to acquire those skills. Call on your past successes and failures; put those lessons to work and share them with others who may not embrace change as well as you.

• Share any misgivings with someone who has been in your shoes. Ask for insight and suggestions. Likewise, when someone is facing a circumstance you have already experienced, be willing to answer questions and give support. Mutual encouragement helps everyone do better in unfamiliar territory. Knowing someone else has hurdled what may seem an impossible obstacle instills courage.

• Keep events in perspective. There is change and then there is CHANGE. Be careful not to let either take over your life. Don’t allow your conversations to be monopolized by the present challenge.

• Stay flexible. Take the initiative by constantly stretching your comfort zone; learn new skills, take courses, meet new people, try different experiences, take calculated risks. Even small adventures are beneficial; take the long route home, try a new hairstyle, read an unknown author, ad lib an untried recipe. Stretch and enjoy!

Is your church ready for when Microsoft drops support for XP and Windows 7?

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How does the decision to quit support for Windows XP and 7 affect your church?
How does the decision to quit support for Windows XP and 7 affect your church?

It's good to hold on to some older things: traditions, friends, treasured memories—computer operating systems, not so much.

I confess, though I work in technology every day, with the exception of Camtasia (the program I use to create training videos) I HATE to upgrade perfectly good working software. Like I know many of you, that includes MS Publisher 2007 and 2010.

An operating system is another thing. It is the foundation for everything your computer does and if it is too out-dated, or not supported anymore by the company that made it, like what is happening with Windows XP, scheduled for April 8, 2014, it can be dangerous to the security of your work. Support for Windows 7 is also scheduled for either 2015 or 2020 (more about that later in the article).

If you want more details, for an excellent overall article on the what will happen when Microsoft no longer supports XP, check out the following one by USA TODAY. I like it because it isn't by a particular reseller and so isn't aggressively pushing the purchase of a new machine. It also has a humorous video about the demise of Windows XP.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2014/02/11/windows-xp-the-end-is-coming-fast/5392269/

What to do? Some personal advice

My advice (and I do not claim to be a hardware/software expert, so what follows is merely my opinion) first concerns what not to do:

DON'T even try to upgrade to Windows 8 on an old XP computer. It won't work, your software won't work, and the bulletin still has to go out and unless you have a typewriter hanging around in the office, you'll be out of luck.

And, unlike what many resellers tell you, I wouldn't rush into a Windows 8 machine. Here are the current stats on operating systems, from the same article above:

Windows 7. . . has a 47.49% share. Microsoft's more recent operating systems, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, come in with modest 6.63% and 3.95% market shares, respectively.

I love my Windows 7 machine and simply haven't had the money or time to switch to Windows 8 (and it doesn't seem like many other people in the world have either). You can get really great deals on Windows 7 machines. Walmart sells them online as does Amazon and many other reputable online resellers. If you want to make the big jump to a Windows 8 machine--that will save you having the face the upgrade decision again in few years or depending upon when Microsoft stops supporting Windows 7. The question follows: "When will Microsoft end support for Windows 7?" There are various reports floating around, but the best answer I've found is following:

Microsoft will stop mainstream support on January 12, 2015. But the company will keep providing extended support until January 14, 2020.

"Well, thank you," you're probably saying. "That's as clear as a new industry acronym."

Let me explain:

Through January 12, 2015, Microsoft will provide the same complete support you have today. You'll receive both security and non-security updates. Your warranty claims will be considered and possibly honored. If your license came with no-charge incident support (yes, it exists), you'll continue to receive it. Microsoft may even add features and change the design (but not, I hope, removing the Start menu).

But in 2015, Windows 7 will go onto extended support, which just covers the basics. You'll still receive free security updates, but non-security-related hotfixes will only be available on a paid subscription--and you'll have to start the subscription before April 15, 2015 (if you live in the USA, that's a date with unpleasant associations in any year). There will be no free support, Microsoft won't honor warranty claims, and the company will not add new features.

By the way, XP's mainstream support ended on April 14, 2009; Vista's ended on April 12 of this year. So if you're satisfied with the support you're getting on this operating systems, you probably won't have much to worry about with Windows 7 for another seven years.

For what it's worth, XP's extended support ends on April 8, 2014. Vista's will end on April 11, 2017.

from: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2010820/how-long-will-microsoft-support-windows-7.html

One more reason that adds to the uncertainty in this situation is that Microsoft just got a CEO and since Windows 8 has clearly not been embraced by the buying public, it's uncertain what we'll see in the coming year. It could be a more recent repeat of the Vista disaster and may be discarded or modified in a similar way. I have no idea, but I also wouldn't spend a lot of money getting a system that may change drastically.

What to do in your church office?

The most important thing is to know what is happening and when. You do need to deal with the ending for the support of XP primarily because when Microsoft no longer supports security updates, with all the malicious virus and other harmful material on the web, your computer could easily become infected and  make life very difficult for you.

Take time to talk about it with your church business manager, pastor, technology adviser. The decision will be totally different for different churches based on your size, complexity, budget, and the time and skills available to people who must use the programs. Don't let technology or the latest updates be your master. Technology is your servant to help you do ministry more effectively and considering the people and ministry implications must be an important part of your decision. What might be essential for a large, urban church with a big budget might be a ministry nightmare for a small, cash-challenged church where one person does all the office work.

Talk to other churches in your area. Pray for wisdom—the Lord cares deeply about your everyday tasks in the church as you work hard to share his message. Trust him to help you make your decision and He will.

As I said earlier, my opinions here are based on my situation and I know many ministry communication situations are different. Personally, I may get a Windows 8 machine if the new CEO announces support for it,but I know I'll switch over to it kicking and screaming. How much I keep running Windows 7 will depend on how well the Windows 8 machine (whatever version that might be t the time) handles the software I use to help all of you. With Windows 8 there is also the question of Office 360 and I'm not ready to tackle that yet. I'm doing a lot of work with Google Docs now and I'll pass on that after I learn it better (am really liking it so far)—it's free as opposed to a never-ending cost for Office Cloud subscriptions—which is a definite bonus for cash-challenged ministries.

***IMPORTANT UPDATE: Skimming the New York Times online today (2-14-2014), I came across the following article that I strongly recommend you read--it gives additional practical advice on the challenge of ever-changing technology. One caveat--we can't all afford Apple hardware, so ignore that part if it doesn't apply, but good overall advice anyway. Just click the title here to go to it: How to Survive the Next Wave of Technology Extinction

If you have comments or experience in this area, please do share them in the comment section here! Really need/want your comments on this!

A collection of communication trends for 2014 along with links for implementation

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Trends in church communications
We don't know for certain what the future brings, but looking at trends can help us plan.

Following are excerpts of articles about upcoming communication trends. I read through many similar articles and these are representative of what many had to say.

Though lists like these are interesting to read, without application they can be frustrating, so along with the excerpts are comments and links to resources on the Effective Church Communication website that will help you put these materials into practice.

Below the titles are links for the full articles.

Web Design Trends for 2014 By Gavin Richardson

http://www.umcom.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=mrLZJ9PFKmG&b=6084849&ct=13416827

Excerpt of what the author sees as important on websites for the coming year:

Mobile responsive

From 25 to 35 percent of many websites’ total traffic will come through mobile devices. The number of mobile device users is growing. Having a website designed to adapt to each device is critical.

Before this trend began to emerge, you had to build a second website for mobile devices, which created extra work to maintain a second site. Most likely, you just let your site be as it is on a mobile device, which does not provide an optimal user experience.

YP Comments

Responsive websites, a primer
A responsive website is one that adjusts to any device you use to view it--please view this video for basics about them.

Mobile responsiveness for websites is very important and will continue to grow—actually, it probably already has with the thousands of people who got smart phones and tablets for Christmas.  For a site to be mobile responsive means that it will resize automatically to fit whatever device is used to view it—laptop, smart phone, tablet, desktop computer.

The following article and video illustrate and explain what is meant by a responsive site. Unlike many technological innovations, this one is easy to implement because if your church website is based on WordPress (and most are), the newer templates will do this for you automatically.

A primer on responsive websites, what they are and why they are important

https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/2012/09/a-primer-on-responsive-websites-what-they-are-and-why-they-are-important/

Excerpt:
The following two trends go together:

Minimalism

Perhaps the biggest change for many church websites is a move toward minimalism. The past practice has been to put as much information as possible in front of your site visitors. This makes for a busy, cluttered and often confusing front-page. Because of the growing use of mobiles for viewing webpages and emerging app culture, this show-everything trend is passé.

With a minimalist design, you remove content and decide what content is most important for users to focus on. The focus might be to share who you are as a congregation or an important event of the church. Possibly, the focus could be to have people follow a call-to-action and sign up for an email list.

Flat design

Trends change frequently. Once, the trend was to have a website with many graphics that had many textures and gradients. The aim was to give depth to the site. The new web design trend is more minimalist in order to be less distracting and drive focus on the content aim of your website.

Flat design can be elegant and aesthetically pleasing when done well. Even with a flat design, your graphic design can give depth to important page elements or calls to action. The level of depth and manipulation of graphics will be significantly less than in the past.

YP comments:

For years I've ranted against excessively complex, graphics heavy web pages (or print and newsletter ones also). One reason is because the content of the Christian faith is what is of primary importance, not simply how we feel about it. Designers tend to love images, but images are not consistent in what they communicate. The following article explains this in more detail:

Why it is incorrect to think that graphic images mean the same thing to everyone who sees them

https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/why-it-is-incorrect-to-think-that-graphic-images-mean-the-same-thing-to-everyone-who-sees-them/

5 Top Social Marketing Predictions by  Marija Hamed

http://www.happymarketingclub.com

Excerpt: these are actually her points from a short, but helpful video

#1 Photo Sharing—bigger than ever

#2 Mobile—be conscious of how your material looks on mobile devices

#3 Google+ —recommendation that you need a G+ account for your business

#4  Customer Service—even more will be handled via social media and customers will expect it.

#5 Stats—check them out more to know what is working and what isn't.

YP Comments:

On Photo Sharing: Something to think about: in the past, churches were very careful about who shared what photos, particularly of children and single women on staff. Today every image of everyone is splashed all over Facebook, Instagram, and other sites. It is a little bit shocking to see your image, as has happened to me a number of times, totally without my permission, on church websites or members Facebook pages. I'm not sure what to do about it other than to talk about it—we can't control it. I do think that it would be wise to pray for protection, particularly for our children.

Customer Service—to translate that into the church setting, churches MUST answer emails and other social media requests, comments, questions! I continue to be astounded at the churches that publish email addresses, Facebook, and Twitter contact information and then do not respond or interact with people who try to reach them. Please, don't publish social media contacts that you don't respond to. If a senior pastor or other staff member will not answer his or her own social media (my husband doesn't, he just isn't into that, but is honest about it) designate someone to do it for them.

I'm not recommending Google+ for churches presently, not because it isn't a great tool (probably is, I don't know, haven't gotten into it yet myself), but because so many churches still don't update their basic website or the social media they have. Remember it isn't how many social media icons you have on your site that make it meaningful—it's how quickly, compassionately, and biblically you respond and interact through the channels you have.

Stats—This recommendation is incredibly important. It doesn't matter what a staff members favorite way to communicate is or what is most popular in blogs—what matters is if your people are responding or not to the tools you use. If you don't track it, you won't know. The following book is essential reading to help you in this area.

It is free to Effective Church Communication Members (along with over 30 other books on church communications). After the book link is a link to a video and FREE forms to help you in your evaluation process.

This essential book is important to help you be honest and realistic about the effect of your communications.
This essential book is important to help you be honest and realistic about the effect of your communications.

Book: Church Communications Planning, Measuring, Evaluating done a new way—big is busted, try tiny!

https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/book-church-communications-planning-measuring-evaluating-done-a-new-way%E2%80%94big-is-busted-try-tiny/

 

Turn the Other Tweet: Social Media Resolutions for 2014 by Rev. James Martin, S.J.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-james-martin-sj/turn-the-other-tweet-social-media_b_4523963.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications

Excerpts from a wonderful blog:

1.) I will treat everyone with charity and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. No matter how rude they are. And no matter how many times they post annoying comments that make me want to stop typing, put on my coat, drive to their town, knock on their door and sock them. Because Jesus never did that when he posted stuff online. Jesus told us always to turn the other tweet.

2.) I will avoid posting anything anywhere when I'm so angry that I can barely type--or speak. Especially speak. That's a tip-off.

3.) I will avoid being drawn into an argument with anyone who is apparently (a) crazy; (b) not listening; or (c) both. Even if they call me (a) stupid, (b) a heretic, or my latest favorite insult (which happened the other day) a "poor excuse for a Christian." I will not be drawn into a pointless argument that will be a waste of time. For both of us.

…….

8.) I will look for news and articles and photos that help people see the workings of grace and that spotlight those in need, and will bring them to people's attention.

9.) I will remember that my goal is not followers or likes but to help people like and follow God.

10.) I will post less and pray more.

YP comments:
All wonderful, especially the last three which I pray will be goals for all of us in the coming year and always. I appreciate his gentle tone in all his writings.

Please read the following blog post for a related approach to church communications.

Do not confuse irreverence for relevancy in church communications

https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/do-not-confuse-irreverence-for-relevancy-in-church-communications/

Please share if you see other trends that would be useful for churches or your comments on the ones listed above.

From Gayle Hilligoss–challenges for a Happy New Year

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Happy New Year 2014
Decisions you carry out are what will make 2014 truly a HAPPY New Year.

I trust 2014 will bring many blessings your way.

The start of a new year is a good time both to reflect and to project—a time to look back and consider what you have 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 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. Then give your time, energy, and love to those things first. Unless you make a deliberate effort to set priorities and 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 of all resources. Without time you have nothing. Spend your minutes and your hours 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 appropriately, get enough rest, schedule regular checkups. Don’t allow lesser activities to keep you from a daily walk or workout. Commit to some healthy extras: swimming, biking, whatever you like. Few of us do all we could or should to take care of ourselves. 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, browse the Internet for places you’d like to visit. Turn off the television. Ditch the smart phone for a few hours. Visit one-on-one with a friend. Think new thoughts. Grow.

“Let each one examine his own work.” —Galatians 6:4 CEV