Effective Church Communications

The Effective Church Communication ministry from Yvon Prehn provides inspiration, training, and resources to help your church create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. It focuses on Bible-based and timeless principles and strategies that work no matter what digital or print channel you use to create your communications. The site has links to many free TEMPLATES and other resources, plus links to free TRAINING VIDEOS, and a RESOURCE LIBRARY for church communicators. 

The Effective Church Communication ministry from Yvon Prehn provides inspiration, training, and resources to help your church create communications that fully fulfill the Great Commission. It focuses on Bible-based and timeless principles and strategies that work no matter what digital or print channel you use to create your communications. The site has links to many free TEMPLATES and other resources, plus links to free TRAINING VIDEOS, and a RESOURCE LIBRARY for church communicators.

Not feeling appreciated in your church communications work? An identity check might help.

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Church Communicators are servantsDo you feel appreciated for all the hard work you do in creating church communications? I’ve been hearing from a lot of people recently, that with all the current increased demands on communicators, that many don’t feel appreciated. How about you?

Hi, I’m Yvon Prehn and Welcome to The Devotions for Church Communicators Podcast!

As you’ll see today, how we react in times like this depends a lot on how we see our identity, our role as a church communicator and that’s what I want to talk about.

As always in this short podast I want to help you focus on God’s Word, the incredible calling you have to share God’s message of salvation, and to strengthen and encourage you.

This podcast is from me, Yvon Prehn and my ministry Effective Church Communications.

Following is the Podcast and below that the transcript of it.

Our podcast today is entitled: # 15 Not feeling appreciated in your church communications work? An identity check might help.

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All will be well—because Jesus came and is coming

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Jesus died on the cross for us
Jesus came humbly the first time and died on the cross for us. He is coming back a second time in victory. And then truly "all will be well."

The world has gotten pretty crazy over the last year and it probably won't improve much next year. But as Christ-followers our hope isn't in dreams and prayers for a better life that may not happen, but in the Savior, whose resurrection we recently celebrated.

As I was thinking about this, I remembered a quote from Julian of Norwich:

All will be well,

All will be well,

All manner of things

Will be well.

It is more than a comforting saying. For those who have trusted Jesus as Savior it is true—in the midst of the crazy world we live in and no matter how insane it gets, now and forever.

We forget the true meaning of "saved"

We forget how incredible our salvation is because sadly being "saved" in much of Christendom today is synonymous with the idea of goodies from God. And those goodies are supposed to include health and wealth or at least a comfortable life.

That's not how the Bible looks at it. Here are two verses we don't often think about:

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Romans 5:9

You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. 1 Thes. 1:9-10

There is, of course, a sense that we are saved here and now in that we are reconciled to God and at peace with him. We are saved from our selfish selves and able to live for God. But as wonderful as these things are, more wonderful yet is that we are saved from final condemnation and judgment.

One day this present reality with all its pains and fears will be transformed into a new heaven and new earth. There will be a final judgment for those who do not know Jesus and we work hard in all we do to share his message of salvation.  But those who know Jesus are saved from condemnation and judgment. For them, there will be no more crying or tears and all the sadness will be gone forever.

Never forget that your work as a church communicator has eternal consequences. Keeping up with trends and technology may be useful, but far more important in your work is that you consistently make clear the message of salvation.

The first advent was humble; the second will be triumphant

Jesus came the first time as a little baby to poor parents who could only find shelter in a barn. He died on a cross with common criminals.

His second advent will be triumphant and glories.

Now we can only trust and believe that "all will be well." But Jesus is coming a second time and then truly and without end, "all manner of things will be well."

Postscript:

I did up a set of cards with the saying "All will be well" on them. CLICK the link following to go to the FREE PDFs to download and share: https://wp.me/pDky9-8T4

 

We should share the good news about Jesus, not condemnation!

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Hope in Jesus
When you think about Jesus, do you think about Him condemning you or reaching out to love you?

Often, I know I worry about condemnation, more than I rest in his love, but as we’ll see in our podcast today, that is not the focus God had when he sent Jesus. And I trust that as we understand this we will be more winsome and less condemning in our approach to others.

As always in this approximately 5-minute podcast I want to help you focus on God’s Word, the incredible calling you have to share God’s message of salvation, and to strengthen and encourage you.

 

Devotion #11: We should share the good news about Jesus, not condemnation!

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

This verse is a caring challenge to our attitude as communicators.

What is the overall tone of our ministry—is it to condemn or to save?

Look at the ministry of Jesus. This verse is part of his talk with Nicodemus, the teacher of the Law who came to Jesus at night asking questions. I wonder if Nicodemus might not have left more confused than when he came. Here was a man people were calling a prophet, but he wasn’t like any prophet who went before him.

He didn’t call down fire from heaven; he turned water into wine at a wedding—good wine and quite a lot of it. He didn’t part the sea or send plagues; he played with children and set out picnics on the beach for his disciples.

When Nicodemus asked Jesus about his message, he didn’t retell all the shortcomings of the world he had come to straighten out. Instead, he told him that God loved the world and that he did not come to condemn but to save.

He didn’t demand Nicodemus do penance for his sins; he invited him to be born again. He didn’t even chide Nicodemus for his cowardice in coming to Jesus at night. He graciously answered questions at a time and in a way this fearful leader needed.

Do our communications reflect this redeeming nature of our Lord? How easy it is to take pen in hand (or today, mouse and keyboard) and to pile on the guilt. Not that there is never a time to point out error, but for the most part we do well to remember it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict of sin (John 16:7-9). It is our job to share the good news of salvation and the joy and fulfillment of living for Jesus.

Most people today know they fall short. They aren’t sure quite what of, but a pervasive sense of guilt fills many lives. Alcohol, drugs, food in excess, unhealthy relationships, and overwork are some common attempts to medicate the pain.

People don’t need more bad news from the followers of Jesus. They need examples of hope and love. They need clear directions to events that can change their lives and clear communications on what they need to do. We need to pray for clarity in all we create. We need to pray that our tone (in ways we may not even be aware of) always reflects the welcoming, saving love of  Jesus.

May your communications be filled with messages of salvation, of the grace and love of your  Lord.

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From: Devotions for Church Communicators  a 5-minute podcast by Yvon Prehn of encouragement and prayers for you

 

 

Devotion #10: The most dangerous, destructive thing that can happen to a church communicator

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our-hearts-matter-to-jesus

What is the most dangerous thing that can happen to a church communicator? Is it lousy equipment—a PC when you wanted a Mac or being forced to create a printed bulletin when you want to do things totally online?
As you’ll see in today's podcast and the devotion below, the most dangerous, destructive thing that can happen to a church communicator has nothing to do with our equipment or the channels we use to create our communications.


The original devotion is below:

Pride, a temptation when we forget the real reasons for the success of our work

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. (Prov. 6:16-17 KJV)

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Prov. 16:18 KJV)

Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. (Jer. 9:23, 24, KJV)

Most of what I share, I trust is filled with encouragement—but this entry is a caution. It is a warning about pride, which C.S. Lewis described as “the essential vice, the utmost evil.”

Why, you may wonder, would I be talking about the sin of pride to church communicators? Outside the reality that all of us are capable of any sin at any time, in most instances, in the church, especially small and medium-size churches, I’ve seldom seen pride as a  danger in church communications. For an overworked church secretary or administrative assistant, for the pastor of a church too small or poor to afford paid help, for the volunteer putting together a flyer or Facebook site for the youth group at the end of a long day—most often these valiant workers are so aware of their limitations in communication production that pride is seldom a temptation.

A new type of church communicator creates new dangers

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Devotion #9: Often the only thanks we get from our communications work is from the Lord

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the-lord-is-our-only-reward-pub

Do you ever feel that no one understands or appreciates all the hard work you do as a church communicator?

If we’re honest we’ve all felt that way! And, truth be told, that is probably a realistic assessment of our situation—nobody does understand or appreciate all we do any more than we understand the work, prayers, and struggle put into the Sunday sermon, or what it means to care for a spouse with Alzheimer's for one more lonely day. But in today’s podcast I’ll share how people not understanding what we do in church communications might actually be a great compliment.   

   Devotion #9: Often the only thanks we get from our communications work is from the Lord 

The LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites” (Numbers 18:20).

A church secretary recently shared with me that she had spent great effort redoing her church bulletin. She showed me the before and after. The new version looked fantastic. It was much easier to read, her choices in typography and layout were clear and professional-looking. But, she said, almost nobody noticed or commented on the changes. [Read more...]