Church communications is more than just editing the newsletter or making an announcement on Sunday morning. Modern communications require skills in everything from social media to video production to print media. (Sanders, 2012) Church communications is a ministry that supports all other ministries.
Church communication ministry is a complex and ever-changing concept and it requires more than one person to make it effective. Staff can’t do everything. There are areas your staff simply cannot see — places that escape their vision.
Mistakes are going to happen-things are going to be overlooked. That is where your communications team comes in.
Why should we have a communications team?
It takes a dedicated communications team to organize your church’s various communications messages intentionally and strategically. (Norton, 2017)
Whether you’re currently building your church communications team or you already have one, all of these skills are valuable. With your unique combination, you can grow your ministry and your church, and reach out to the world to show what your community is really like. (Gray, 2015)
Who should be on the Communication team?
One of the best ways to plan for additional growth in your communications efforts is to ask yourself who you need to add to the communications team. Every team will look different and might include paid staff, volunteers, freelancers/contractors, interns, or some combination there of. (Norton, 2017)
If your church is fortunate enough to have paid staff, make sure you don’t lock out volunteers. You might have people who can contribute in different ways. Whether you’re recruiting staff or volunteers, intentionality is still important. (Mpofu, 2018)
Your Church Communications Team should consist of 4-6 people from a variety of backgrounds, ages, and genders and can fill 1-3 of these rolls. While one individual may not be able to take on all of these roles, your communications team needs all of these skills to thrive.
Coordinates between ministry leaders, creative staff, vendors, and volunteers. Project managers sweat the details and keep on top of everything to make sure things get done. (Sanders, 2012) You need an experienced “planner” who can help you see what’s missing from start to finish. (Gray, 2015)
Checks for continuity and consistency in colors, fonts, and logo usage. They are responsible for checking that each publication matches your church’s brand and style. (Sanders, 2012)
An excellent writer who understands the power of experience and personal stories in your faith. (Gray, 2015) In our multi-media world, good writing is still important. Writers can spell, use proper grammar and punctuation, and tell stories that people want to read. (Sanders, 2012)
Creates compelling graphics to support the messages and promotions of the church. (Sanders, 2012) The person who claims ownership of this skill set should be a life-long learner. As the campus grows, so will your graphic design needs. (Gray, 2015)
Someone who understands how to tell a story with photographs. Photos are important. Instagram, one of the world’s biggest social media platforms is all about that. You need this person if you’re to steer away from stock photos, which is most desirable. (Mpofu, 2018)
Inexpensive video recorders, smart phones, and YouTube have made video a necessary communications tool. Fortunately, you don’t need professional studio equipment to do video. (Sanders, 2012)
Coordinates social media promotions and manages social media platforms. Most people still get their news from social media. Social media is not something we do once a week, it is where people live. (Mpofu, 2018)
An outgoing, polished speaker who will make your announcements and videos much better. (Sanders, 2012) You need someone to carry the pom-poms for your church––someone who fully buys into the mission of the church, and wants to make every task push further into that. (Gray, 2015)
Helps remove church-speak and generate communications that appeal to the community. They who looks at everything from an outsider, visitor, or non-Christian perspective. They watch for jargon, internal shorthand, and church-speak that might accidentally offend or exclude visitors or non-Christians. (Sanders, 2012)
Understands how important listening and “feeling the room” is. This person is usually the one with the “magic” touch for recruiting volunteers or motivating projects along. (Gray, 2015)
Final Recommendation
Start simple, start somewhere and work with what you have. (Mpofu, 2018) All of these skillsets are a hypothetical dream team––the pinnacle of communications. It’s ok if it takes you some time to get there. (Gray, 2015)
This is an opportunity to get people in your church involved in you ministry that probably won’t volunteer anywhere else. Once you have a team in place it’s time to start setting some goals and developing a publication style guide.
References
Gray, J. (2015, October 8). The Skillsets Every Church Communications Team Needs. Retrieved from Ekklesia 360: https://hello.ekklesia360.com/blog/the-skillsets-every-church-communications-team-needs
Mpofu, B. (2018, February 13). Developing A Church Communication Strategy – The Team. Retrieved from ChurchMag: https://churchm.ag/church-communication-strategy-team/
Norton, L. (2017, September 29). Why You Need a Church Communications Team. Retrieved from The Aspen Group: http://www.aspengroup.com/blog/why-you-need-a-church-communications-team
Sanders, T. (2012, October 16). Staffing the Church Communications Team. Retrieved from MainStreetOpen.com: http://mainstreetopen.com/staffing-the-church-communications-team/
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