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.

Give visitors at events an information/invitation card so they will return

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Generic Come back to church card
People won't automatically come back to your church if you don't invite them!

Life is busy, people are stressed, and no matter how much we might want to attend an event, if we don't have the details of time, location, directions, about it, it's not likely we'll show up.

Keep your crazy schedule in mind to motivate you to create information, invitation cards to give to people who come to special events at your church. No matter how much they an event you put on, they won't automatically know that you have Sunday School for kids, what time your Sunday service starts, or that you want them to return.

If your outreach was for unchurched people, they might not even know that your church does a regular service on Sundays. True story here: a few years ago I talked to a woman who always attended the outreach events at a local church. When I asked her if she also attended on Sunday, she was very surprised. "You mean they do things on Sunday too?" she said. She did not grow up in a church and she honestly thought that the church just put on nice community events for the holidays.

Don't expect people to return—invite them back!

That's where a card like this is helpful. It gives basic information and warmly invites people to return.

Though it's great if you can create follow-up cards for the specific events you host (and there are lots of examples of them on this website), realistically you don't always have time to do them up for each event. This is where a generic one can be useful.

At our church, we are hosting the simulcast of the Harvest Crusade, next weekend. My husband and I are on the prayer team and whenChurch come back card Church come back card, front we met last Sunday for training, our pastor said they only had booklets to give out afterwards.

I went home thinking about how helpful an information/invitation card would be. We are new at the church (and love it) and I didn't want to be pushy—but I thought if I drafted one up, even if it didn't work for the church to use it, it would be a great training tool to share with all of you.

Everyone can look at the card for ideas—it has all the basic information on one side and a note from the Pastor on the second side. Give one to everyone you can at events and your members can also use them anytime as an invitation for the church. It's one more way to encourage people along the path of coming to know Jesus as Savior.

Below is a ZIP File that has the MS Publisher file you can use as a template to create your own.

CLICK HERE to download the ZIP file. Save it and then click to open and use.

Our communications should reflect the redeeming nature of our Lord, not condemnation

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Our communications should reflect the compassion of our Lord, not condemnation.
Our communications should reflect the compassion of our Lord, 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 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 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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Devotions Cover The above material is from: Devotions for Church Communicators. For a complete copy of the book in print and online formats, CLICK HERE. To sign up for our online emails that come out when new information is posted on this site, including when new devotions or Biblical challenges are posted, CLICK HERE. To find past devotions and challenges on this website, CLICK HERE.

What will really make Mom happy for Mother’s Day

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Mothers Day can inspire Moms to pray.
Mothers Day can inspire Moms to pray.

Flowers and candy are nice and at church praise from the pulpit for all Mom's hard work is always appropriate. But in addition to those things, we've got two others that may have more eternal impact.

Inspiration to pray for her kids: One Mother's Prayer

This short piece, One Mother’s Prayer, has probably impacted more people than anything else I’ve written. It is the simple, but true story of a young man One mothers prayers, cute onewhose life was going very wrong, whose Mother prayed, and his life changed.

It was first published in Today’s Christian Woman magazine. It was repeated in their Best of Ten Years of writings, it has been reprinted and republished all over the world, and it continues to bring tears to the eyes of any group I read it to. You are free to use it any way you want and share it however you want.

It is useful for Mother’s Day, for Moms in Touch and other prayer ministries and to give out in Children’s ministries. CLICK HERE  to go to One Mother's Prayer.

Come Back #4 IMAGEMother’s Day: Come Back to Church Cards

One of the things that will make Moms most happy is for the people they love who only come to church on Mother’s Day and other special events to come every week. It won’t happen by simply wishing it will happen. You  can help this happen for Mom's by providing a way to intentionally let visiting family members know you want them to come back to church. Come Back #1 IMAGE

You have to invite them back.

Subtle doesn’t work as a communication strategy in our world today. Think of how the secular media bombards us with repeated messages to buy this, come to that, don’t miss out on some special sale. Though we don’t want to be obnoxious we do have to be persistent and clear.
The link here will help you do this: CLICK HERE to go to it.

eAdditional resources of all sorts for Mother's Day

Inspirations and how-to videos, ebooks, connection cards and bulletin inserts for Mother's Day are all at this link:  https://www.effectivechurchcom.com/mothers-day-resource-list/ 

 

Mother’s Day is your church’s BEST opportunity for evangelism!

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When you think about Mother's Day celebrations at your church, evangelism probably isn't the first think you think about--but it should be!

Mothers Day Book
Click here to download this free e-book. Read and share with your church staff and it will change your view of Mothers Day.

If we are to "make the most of our time" and our calling is to introduce people to Jesus and help them grow to mature disciples, we need to realize that Mother's Day brings many unchurched spouses and kids to church who seldom come any other time. If all we do is give out roses for Mom and say a few nice words (nothing wrong with that), we will miss out on the opportunity to give Mom the best gift ever--kids and husbands introduced to Jesus.

This free e-book will give you a new view of Mother's Day--just click and download.

For more resources for Mother's Day, CLICK HERE.

ALL of the materials are free for Effective Church Communication Members, in ready-to-print PDFs and in editable MS Publisher files. For more information on membership and to sign up, CLICK HERE.