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.

Church Communication Trends for 2012 and what’s essential for your church

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At this time of year we are flooded with all kinds of trend analysis articles, what's hot, what's not, what is the latest in social media and gadgets, what's is essential if we want to appear relevant and cutting edge.

After reading a number of these articles and blogs and debating about what to pass on to you, instead of feeling informed and helpful, I've found myself feeling tired and frustrated. I feel like this because even though I'm sure that iPads are incredible devices and Kindles are great ways to read, and that Google Circles are one of the next hot social networking sites, reality is that many churches still can't keep their website updated or afford necessary computer upgrades. I'm behind on the website I do for our Adult Sunday School class (I'm telling myself, later today, for sure after I finish my ECC newsletter I'll get it updated. . . . ). My computer is so old some of the features in Word 2010 don't work on it. I can't afford a Kindle, even though I'm publishing books in that format (CLICK here for my first venture.) I would imagine my technology situation is similar to many in this time of still challenging budgets for communication resource upgrades in most churches. [Read more...]

Being a Better Office Manager, part one

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Gayle Hilligoss Picture
Article by Gayle Hilligoss

“The right person in the right role, given the right tools and the right encouragement, is a key to good management.”    —Ted W. Engstrom

Of the many responsibilities encountered in your professional life, none is more challenging than developing management skills—those skills enabling you to effectively supervise others.

During your first days in the church office, it is likely you were responsible only for producing your own work. You were given assignments and you did them.

As office manager you move from the supervision of work to the supervision of people. Besides maintaining excellent technical skills, you must exercise supervisory talent as well. [Read more...]

Manage your church communication team well

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Manage your church staff well
Manage your church staff well--here are some tips to help you.

This article is for church leaders and those who oversee church communicators. You are responsible for the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the people who create your communications. Their job is vital to the growth and success of the church, but often they do their job under very difficult circumstances.

Please consider the following suggestions to help you effectively pastor and shepherd these vital members of your church team. They do so much for the church, following is what you can do for them:

Realize the important place communications and church communicators play in the overall strategic success of your church

"What people haven't heard about they can't take action about. Uncommunicated issues DON'T EXIST." Stuart Brand

"Why is communication so vitally important to the health and vitality of the local church? Communication is the means by which we reach our ministry goals. You cannot find a healthy, growing church that is plagued by ineffective communications. Such an animal simply does not exist. If your church is going to maximize its potential, it is  imperative that you understand the communication process and constantly strive to upgrade how well you and others in your church communicate."
George Barna, Marketing the Church

No matter how Bible-based, prayed over and passionate you are about your vision for the church, if it is not sequentially, clearly, consistently, and repeatedly communicated to your church, it will not happen. Today, the role of your church communicator in making your vision real has grown in importance because of two primary reasons: [Read more...]

Why you shouldn’t plan too far ahead in church communications

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Plan ahead in your church communications, but do so cautiously.
Plan ahead in your church communications, but do so with wisdom and prayer.

At the start of the year, it's natural to want to do some planning, but planning can be both a positive and a negative thing. It's always challenging as I was reminded when several churches have asked how to create a communication plan for the next five to seven years. Each of them has mentioned that new technology can be costly and they want to be prepared, in their budgeting and for training. Though I admire their desire to be good stewards, planning ahead for five years in church communications, especially when it involves trying to figure out technology needs, is futile.

Could you have envisioned your communication world today five years ago?

Think about it. Five years ago, could you:

  • Have  imagined or planned for the iPhone and iPad?
  • Known texting would be a major way your youth group would communicate and your youth pastor would need a high-end mobile phone?
  • Have known that skill with Facebook  would be useful, if not essential, when you hire a church secretary?
  • Imagined that Tweeting would be a skill your senior Pastor might want to learn? Even known the meaning of Tweeting or that social media in any form would be able to overturn governments and raise millions for charity? [Read more...]

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

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Planning Book Cover
Planning before and evaluating after any church event are essential for honesty in church communication ministries.

Today churches have extravagant images, powerful design, and extraordinary technology to advertise our message, but in spite of those tools, the Christian faith is declining in much of the world. Though we don't want to discount any of these tools perhaps we need to take another look at the foundational skills of Planning, Measuring and Evaluating our work.

The book Church Communications Planning, Measuring, Evaluating done a new way—big is busted, try tiny! has practical training on planning, measuring, and evaluating to help you make sure that your time and money spent in creating church communications accomplishes the goals of your church.

The book first looks at the details of planning that form the foundation of a solid church communication program. It then goes into the use of FORMS that will help you gather and organize the facts and the information people need to connect with your ministry or event. The forms will also help you measure and evaluate your communications and enable you to understand what is really effective and what isn’t in your ministry communications and marketing.

This approach works in any size church, with any budget. While much extravagant multimedia is only possible on a big budget, any church can make use of the tiny, but significant tips, ideas, and changes suggested in this book to make a significant difference in the impact of your communications.

For immediate download of a PDF of the book, CLICK ON the button below.

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

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For the print version of the book, available through amazon.com, CLICK HERE.