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.

Three Channels of Effective Church Communications

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3 channels of effective Church Communications
As you consider what channels to communicate in, here are some options.

In this challenging time of multi-channel church communications, to make this situation manageable for practical application I’ve divided the many communication channels into three overall groups. It is much more difficult to communicate in all three channels, but I trust this section will encourage you and give you some strategic ideas how to be more effective as you work.

The three channels of effective church communication

Channel #1: Print

This channel consists of printed bulletins, newsletters, postcards, invitation cards, connection cards, instruction materials, printed matter of all kinds, sizes, and quality that we create in the church. Print, in color, black and white, and all its forms is still one of the primary and most important ways we communicate with people today and will be for some time. Almost everyone has access to this channel.

Channel #2: Digital

This channel is the latest tool we have to communicate the gospel message and we use it in PowerPoint® presentations, the internet, our website, email newsletters, cell phone and small screen communications, and anything else that makes up the newest, latest, and greatest communication technology. This channel is still emerging, developing in new systems and tools, and is expanding constantly. Not everyone has access to this channel and speed of adaptation varies tremendously with age and socioeconomic groups. [Read more...]

More important than the channels–make sure your church communications have useful content

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Don't waste time, create significant content
Don't waste time, create significant content in your church communications.

Larry Kramer, the new publisher of USA TODAY said that he planned to use technology to "give people what they want, when they want it, where they want it." (http://wapo.st/Jw8EBg) Previously, I've discussed the challenge for churches to create communications in various channels. Though this is important, no matter what channels we use to communicate: print, digital, web, tweet, update or whatever, our content is always more important than the channel we use to deliver it. We have the words of eternal life and though new channels are useful, we must never lose focus on what is most important.

Following are three more quotes from Kramer followed by suggestions about the importance of content in our church communication channels and how to create content that will change lives. [Read more...]

What will you do when an iPad costs $40? and what that has to do with how your church communicates today

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Yesterday, a wise friend of mine, Bev M., asked me this question, "What will you do when an iPad costs $40?"

He went on to remind me that you can get a case of paper for about $40.Obviously today, for most churches it costs much less to print on paper. Everyone has access to paper and every church has a way to print and get it out there. But that could change.

What will we do in our church communication programs when an iPad or any other portable, digital communication tools becomes that cheap and widely available?

Think about it.

How you answer that questions not only has to do with the future of your communications, but how well you are communicating now.

No new technology should scare you

Our task as church communicators is to share the words of eternal life. Our message has not changed in thousands of years and it won't change throughout eternity. The tools we use to share it, however, have changed and will continue to change.

No matter what the technology we must use now or what we will use in the future shouldn't scare us because:

  • Our God is always and ultimately in control of all things.
  • Our God is not intimidated by technology (easy to forget that ).
  • Our God can help us learn whatever we need to learn to do the jobs we are called to do.
  • in addition. . . . . .

You should be communicating through a variety of channels now

If you have gotten into the habit of communicating through a variety of channels—print, digital, people—using all the tools available to you, not elevating one channel over others, but being open and excited about each new communication channel and challenge you'll approach every change with excitement.

If the above statement doesn't apply to you, Effective Church Communications has many resources available to help. Teaching you the importance of Multi-channel Communication is one of the most important tenets of this ministry.

Following is a listing of articles and resources on Multi-channel Communication, the first three are FREE, the second three are in-depth articles, resource listings and a webinar. Click on the title of each to go to the article. To find out more information on how to become a members of Effective Church Communications and have access to ALL the materials on this site, CLICK HERE.

Free articles:
You also communicate by what you don't do—the importance of the people channel
Never forget the people who don’t have access to the easily created communication channels

As you share your message in different channels, don’t change the content or look of your message

For ECC MEMBERS only, in-depth articles, resource listings and a webinar. To find out more information on how to become a members of Effective Church Communications and have access to ALL the materials on this site, CLICK HERE.

Is video the best way to market your church?
What’s the best channel to use to communicate the church’s message? Print? Multi-media? Web?

Webinar: Why your church needs to create Multi-channel Communications, or why you can’t just put your church bulletin on the web and be done with it

Never forget who you are and you'll never be afraid of technology

You are an eternal person because you are eternally loved and saved by Jesus.

When the heavens fade away and the earth is renewed, the $40 iPad or whatever technology may come that will challenge and sometimes intimidate us, will be a distant dream. Then we'll laugh at our former fears and wonder why we worried.

Keep that reality in mind as you face the challenges of technology today.