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.

Free ebook on Church Leadership and Teamwork in the church

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Free ebook on Leadership and Teamwork in the church
Click on the image here to down this free ebook on Leadership and Teamwork in the church by Robert Sherbondy

For the last two weeks I've written about church communication teams and in this context, I am excited to share a training manual, Leadership and Teamwork in the Church by an ECC Member, Bob Sherbondy. If you follow the advice of this book it will help you build a team for effective church communications.

Bob has very generously made the book, in e-book format, available as a free download for readers of this site. You can download the book by clicking on the image to the left. Following are Bob's description of the book as well as a brief bio from him.

There is a large amount of valuable information and practical application in this book. I urge you to download it, read it, use it and please let Bob know your response to it: bsherbondy@gmail.com

Bob's overall comments and description of the book

Leadership and Teamwork in the Church is written as a manual for a series of 8 training workshops involving group discussions and a special exercise on cooperation for these church workers. Its greatest benefits will be experienced as its principles are taught and practiced by church teams. This is a manual for the practice of teamwork in churches and not just an e-book about that matter.

I've used parts of the manual as resources for brief teaching sessions with church members and leaders, and this approach has produced some helpful insights within them, so I know that it can be used in parts.

A partial understanding of these principles may not enable a team or a committee of church leaders to be completely effective in the efforts to work together. It would be like a basketball or football team that didn't understand the principles of playing good defense as well as functioning offensively. I trust that [readers] can recognize the important principles for effective teamwork that are presented in this manual.

About Robert Sherbondy

I am an old retired Baptist minister who has had a lot of special experience and training in over 50 years of service as a pastor, Christian education specialist, designer and writer and editor of curricula, marketing, and fund-raising.

I’ve served on local and national and international committees, including positions of leadership as the president of the Religious Education Section of the Adult Education Association of America and president of the Chicago Chapter of the Religious Public Relations Council.

I have a BA degree in Sociology and a BD in New Testament and special training in group leadership and organizational development.

Everywhere that I have served I have seen a need for effective teamwork between individual workers. This is the reason for the writing of this manual on “Leadership and Teamwork in the Church” as well as the other resources on my website regarding “Christianity and what is good forever” at http://www.christianityetc.org.

I will be glad to answer any questions that anyone has regarding the use of this manual if they contact me at my email address: bsherbondy@gmail.com

 

Why ministry leaders aren’t always good communicators and what to do about it

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Leaders communication challenges
Leaders can't sit at their desks to create all communications needed--they need a team to help.

The important term in the headline here is "aren't always." Ministry leaders, including pastors, leaders of groups like Young Life, and missionaries are almost always great verbal communicators or they wouldn't be in ministry. They do great talking to groups, teaching, challenging, motivating. But in today's multi-channel communication universe, that isn't enough.

What's needed today

When the Apostle Paul said he needed to be "all things to all people that he might win some," he had no idea of the multitude of communication tools and effective ministry program needs today, but his words couldn't be more true in this area.

You need a variety of communication tools because no church or ministry is a homogeneous group when it comes to what communication tools works best for each person in it.Your message stays the same, but for different groups of people to take it in and act on it, you need different ways to reach them. Here are some examples:

What works in a church

In the church, some people like the traditional bulletin and print newsletter to find out what's going on at the church. Others prefer to get their church news online. Others will only pay attention if they get a text message just before an event and others need large print format to stay informed. In the church if you want your people to know what is going on and to take part, it doesn't matter what you as a leader like or think is useful and proper for the church. What matters is what channels of communication are the various people in your church are responding to.

In the church we always need to remember that the majority does not rule when it comes to being a servant to all. There may only be 4-5 or 10-20 people who still need the newsletter printed out and mailed to them, but we must always remember that our Lord went after the one little sheep. He expects us to value the straying and weak in the same way. [Read more...]

Confronting $#@! Language

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Confronting $#@! Language
Bad language is not appropriate for a Christian communicator.

Profanity has moved into society’s mainstream in a big way. Inappropriate and rude expressions lace movies, magazines, literature, social media, television, and conversations. From high-profile celebrities to kids in the classroom, four-letter words are too routinely part of the language. Words that only a few years ago were never heard in polite company, are now so common we seldom even flinch.

What do we do about it?

Perhaps the first impulse of members of the Christian community is to avoid people, events, and publications that present exposure. Nearly impossible! Besides, we can do better than avoid or ignore. We can acknowledge and understand the problem, educate ourselves and our children, and set a consistently good example.

Why has language become so raw? Researchers suggest the cause is linked to the growing lack of respect for authority of all kinds. People swear for any number of reasons—none of them very good ones.

Some think swearing is sophisticated or liberating or “in.” When influential men, women, or young people swear, they send the message that swearing is acceptable. Their examples change customs and put a stamp of approval on what was not tolerable before.

Others swear to add emphasis or to be funny. Some writers seem to believe foul language makes stories realistic. Much swearing is simply due to ignorance or laziness: the speaker or writer just isn’t smart enough or capable enough to express ideas without resorting to obscenities.

Even aside from obvious religious and moral factors, foul language is decidedly negative. Foul mouthed people, as much as they like to think otherwise, give the impression of having less than a firm grip on themselves or on their knowledge of language. They most often appear undisciplined and ignorant.

USA Today, reporting on the prevalence of profanity, quotes James O’Connor, author of Cuss Control: The Complete Book on How to Curb Your Cursing: “Whether it’s a rare, angry outburst or habitual blue patter, cursing imposes a personal penalty on the swearer.” He notes:

Swearing:

• Gives a bad impression

• Makes you unpleasant to be with

• Endangers your relationships

• Reduces the respect people have for you

• Shows that you don’t have control

• Is a sign of a bad attitude

• Is a tool for whiners and complainers

• Discloses a lack of character and moral integrity

• Is immature

• Reflects ignorance

• Sets a bad example

Christians can take a proactive role in reversing the everybody-does-it myth.

The issue can be addressed at home, in the workplace, in classrooms, and in the pulpit. We can influence both children and adults to see that filthy language is just that—filthy. They can learn that many people really don’t ever use these words. That swearing diminishes them and their message. That there is a better way.

“Let the words of my mouth ... be acceptable in Thy sight ...”  —Psalm 19:14

 

Every team has a goal–encouragement in a special way

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Gayle Hilligoss did up this article for you in a different format−a PDF for you to download. There is a great message here and I know you'll be encouraged and inspired by it−I was! Below is a picture of the PDF, just click on it to download the PDF itself. Every team has a goal